The Butterfly Effect
by Metropolis Kid
Summary: What if Seras had never joined D11? What if she'd never gone to Cheddar? What would happen if she made one different choice in her life and then met Alucard a year later? How would the effects of this ripple outwards? Anime AU. AlucardxSeras pairing.
1. To Raise the Dead

**The Butterfly Effect**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any material contained within this story. All copyrighted content remains the property of the person, people, or organization that holds the copyright. This story is solely for fun.

**AN:** I'm shamelessly ripping somethings off from the wonderful Bourne series with this story. (My sincerest apologies to Robert Ludlum.) Hopefully though this will be original enough to still hold everyone's attention.

**Warning: **Updates to this fic will likely be infrequent and chaotic... There is even the possibility that I will just delete this entirely- I'm still not sure if I actually want to write this one or not. We'll see how the beginning goes.

**Expanded Summary:** It is said that all fiction is can be described as simply asking the question "What if?" And then attempting to give an answer to that question. Hirano asked the question, "What if Abraham hadn't killed Dracula? What if he'd tamed the monster instead and turned him against the rest of his kind?" An interesting and thought provoking question to be sure. But you already know how that turned out. So, here is a new question for all of you. "What if Seras never went to Cheddar?" If the consequences of every decision we make ripple outwards- like waves in water, then what would be the end result of Seras never having joined D-11 and never being dispatched to Cheddar? In this fic, I will attempt to give one possible outcome to that scenario.

* * *

**Chapter 1: To Raise the Dead**

**Time: One Year Ago.**

Seras took a deep breath before entering her captain's office. The young police officer new that her superior would not be pleased with her recent action. She opened the door slowly. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

The captain sighed and motioned for Seras to sit down. She did- taking one of the empty chairs across the desk from her superior.

"Officer Victoria, you know why you're here, don't you?"

The look on Seras's face clearly indicated that she did, yet the young police officer didn't say anything in response to the question.

"I told you to stay away from him. He's got powerful friends- even a couple in Parliament for crying out loud! You can't... you can't just harass him like that."

"Sir, that... _man,_" Seras emphasized the word as if referring to him as a 'man' was a gross insult to the entire gender. "Jacob Conway is a criminal- one of the worst in all of London... and directly responsible for the brutal murder of both of my parents!"

The captain paused after Seras's outburst. He gave her a moment to calm herself before continuing in a quiet but firm tone, "That... may be, _but_ you have no proof."

"I saw him!" Seras objected.

"You _think_ you saw him, and that was eleven years ago," the captain countered.

Seras stood up, her anger rising as the conversation continued. "When an eight-year-old sees both of her parents brutally slaughtered in front of her and her mother's dead body raped, it tends to leave an impression!" she nearly screamed. "I will never forget the faces of those men. They are burned into my mind- I see them in every single one of my nightmares," the girl growled in an unusually deep sounding voice.

"But you have no proof."

"I-"

"And he has an alibi!" the captain continued, cutting Seras off as he finally rose from behind his desk. "And we never recovered any of his fingerprints or DNA from the scene. We couldn't sustain an indictment back then, and we certainly can't sustain one now!" The captain pounded on his desk, more out of frustration than anger.

He'd been Leon Victoria's partner back when the officer and his wife were murdered, and he would've liked nothing better than to lock up the scum responsible. But that just wasn't an option. They had nothing on Jacob, and the only thing Seras's harassment was going to do was end up getting her career flushed down the loo... or worse- get her kicked off the force entirely. And he didn't want to see either of those things happen. She was a good bobby and showed a lot of promise. Plus he owed something to his old partner.

The captain sat back down. "You know, Leon and I had a deal? If something happened to one of us, the one left alive would do what he could to look out for the other's family. With that in mind... I've arranged a transfer for you- department 11, special forces and counter terrorist ops." The captain picked up a folder from his desk and handed it over to Seras. You'll be the youngest female ever to join the division. It's quite a feather in your cap, and more importantly... it gets you out of the old neighborhood- away from Jacob."

Seras just stared at the folder. She could hardly believe what she was being offered. Department 11 was made up of only the very best, and she was barely more than a rookie. It certainly would be a feather- a _huge_ feather -in her cap. As the strawberry-blonde continued to stare at the folder anyone could see that she was seriously considering the transfer. Besides, like her captain pointed out, they really didn't have anything on Jacob. Wouldn't her parents have wanted her to take the transfer? Wouldn't they have wanted her to move on? Wouldn't her father have been pleased to see his daughter join department 11? Yes, yes- he would've.

Seras held the folder for another moment... then she shook her head and dropped it back onto her captain's table. Screw what her parents would've wanted! They lost the right to such considerations when they left her all alone- when that bastard took them away. And she was going to make damn sure he paid for it! Without another word, Seras stormed out of her captain's office.

He just shook his head and reached for his bottle of ulcer medication. That stubborn girl was going to put him back in the hospital... He just knew it.

* * *

**Time: Three Months Ago.**

Alucard laughed as the metal spear flew from his busted gun, impaling the vampire who called himself "Incognito". The creature was trash. Even after taking Set into him, the vampire had barely proved a challenge to Alucard... and that was with the No-Life King's final art restriction still in place.

Alucard laughed, and then he heard an unexpected cry. Turning to his right, the No-Life King was just able to make out the form of the blond haired 'faker'* who had charged him. Apparently he'd missed one of the artificial vampires earlier. Oh well, it didn't matter. The... thing would be easy enough to dispose of.

The blond vampire's body collided with Alucard's and the two tumbled off of the rooftop. Alucard merely chuckled in amusement and then used his shadow tendrils to rip the young whelp apart. However, the No-Life King had made a miscalculation. He tore the faker apart without any problem, but he'd forgotten to keep an eye on where the two of them were falling. Too late, Alucard realized the unbelievable stroke of luck the young whelp had had. With a large splash, the No-Life King's body fell into the Thames river.

Alucard struggled for a few seconds, trying to levitate his body free of the flowing mass of water that was sapping his unnatural powers and draining the (un)life from him, but it was no use. The speed he'd been travailing at had propelled him too far beneath the surface. And as he just barely managed to raise his head above the water line, the last bit of his strength slipped away. His now lifeless body quickly disappeared once more into the river's murky depths.

* * *

**Time: Present Day.**

Seras reached the morgue and reminded herself not to get her hopes up too much. This certainly wouldn't have been the first promising lead that failed to pan out. Still, she couldn't help but feel somewhat... optimistic. Jenny wouldn't have called her unless the coroner had found _something_. Seras took a deep breath and then opened the door and stepped inside.

The police girl found her friend hunched over the corpse of a stranger. Seras walked over. "Who's he?"

Jenny looked up. "Him? No one- just a floater they pulled from the Thames earlier today," she answered. "Hmmm, must be starting to warm up if the bodies are rising to the surface- you know what they say about spring and the first floaters?" the red head continued almost absent mindedly.

"So, he's not the reason you called me down here?"

"Oh, heavens, no. He's just some waterlogged stiff the rest of you bobbies dumped on my doorstep and expect me to identify." The coroner cast an appraising look down at the corpse. "Kind of too bad too. Nice facial structure, tall, well built- probably pretty handsome in life," she mused. "Too bad they only come my way after they've stopped breathing. Heaven knows I could use a bloody date," she half joked before pushing the metal slab- holding the body -back into the morgue wall and sealing the small door in front of the opening.

"No, your stiff's over here." Jenny led Seras over to an examination table. "Madam Lorina da-jur, the call girl you brought me yesterday. I was able to scrape some foreign skin out from under her nails," Jenny paused and looked over at Seras. The coroner's posture betrayed a slightly playful air- though her face carefully concealed any emotions that might give away what she'd discovered.

"And?!" Seras questioned, more out of anticipation than frustration at the way her friend was letting her dangle.

"And," Jenny replied, drawing the word out. "It's a match. Congratulations, Seras, you now have proof that Jacob knew this girl before her death." The police girl's face beamed, and Jenny smiled. Sure, she could've just filed her report and let Seras find out that way. But she knew how important catching Jacob was to her friend, and the coroner had wanted to see the look on Seras's face when she got the good news... It was worth it.

However, before the two had a chance to break out the figurative bubbly, what should've been one of the happiest days in Seras's young life quickly became one of the worst since the loss of her parents. The morgue door was kicked open and two masked men- each holding a machine gun -burst into the room. They sprayed Jenny with a torrent of bullets before either girl had a chance to react.

Perhaps the one saving grace was that Seras's police training kicked in and she quickly ducked and rolled away from the gunfire. That instinctive reaction kept her from seeing her friend's body ripped open by the assault. Although Seras could not wholly escape the blood splatter- which tinged parts of her blue uniform to a dark maroon color.

The police girl finished her roll and came up firing her side arm. She nailed one of the masked men in his shoulder- the impact causing his body to recoil backwards. Seras used this opportunity to finish the man off. However, before she could train her gun on the other man, he already had her pinned to the wall.

The second gunman had lost himself in the thrill of his first kill and emptied his entire clip into the coroner As a result, he wasn't prepared to shoot the remaining woman; and, recognizing that reloading his gun would likely take more time than he had, he simply charged the police girl instead. He grabbed her, lifted her up and pinned her to the wall.

The smell of blood and death permeated the air as the two struggled for control over Seras's still loaded pistol. But the police girl knew it was a battle she couldn't win. The man was taller and broader than she was. He had her in the raw strength department, and despite her best efforts, he was going to get that gun. So, rather than continue trying to regain control over her side arm, Seras kneed the man in his groin and used her hands to push him back. Firmly grasping a nearby scalpel, she started to lunge at the man- hoping that he'd remain stunned long enough for her to slice through his throat. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Seras cut her lunge short as she felt the cold, hard barrel of her own gun being pressed against her forehead. "Miserable bitch," the killer growled, and Seras saw her life beginning to flash before her eyes. But then, before the gunman could pull the trigger, a metallic banging sound started from somewhere behind him. "What the..." the man asked; and Seras, seeing that he was distracted and that this was her best chance to do something to turn the tide, quickly jammed the scalpel into the man's neck. Unfortunately, she missing the carotid artery.

Still, he reeled back in pain and shock; but, as he did so, he also jerked his finger against the pistol's trigger. The shot was unaimed, but that was of little comfort to Seras, as the bullet ripped through her femoral artery. It passed right through and came out the other side of her thigh, but the fact that it was a 'through and through' once again wasn't comforting. With her femoral artery cut, Seras was bleeding fast and knew that she only had minutes to live unless she could find someway to stop the bleeding. Her hands went to the inside of her thigh as she tried to clamp down on the wound and slow the blood loss as much as possible.

Meanwhile, the gunman recovered and brought the pistol back up. He swore and aimed at Seras's head. However, just then one of the cells (where the dead bodies were locked up) burst open. And, faster than could be seen by the human eye, a figure wrapped itself around the gunman.

The figure just stood there, holding the gunman in a vice like grip- its mouth covering the murder's neck. And Seras recognized that the figure's form was that of a tall, dark, hansom... and very nude man. However, the sight before her seemed more befitting that of a monster.

The gunman's body shriveled up unnaturally as the monster- that had sprung from the resting place of the dead - locked glowing red eyes on the police girl. In less than a minute, the creature tossed the gunman's lifeless husk away and then leapt at Seras. She shrieked and moved her hands to cover her neck. But instead the monster went for her thigh- where her life blood was still flowing from the gunshot wound.

Savagely he (it?) tore at her pants- shredding them to pieces, and then he bent his head and began to lap at the girl's wound. And Seras, despite trying to protest and push the monster's head away, found herself filled with a previously unknown... ecstasy.

As the monster's saliva worked its way into the police girl's blood stream, she quickly lost both the strength and will to fight him off. Soon her hands just laid helplessly at her side while the young girl quietly moaned and trembled weakly.

But the saliva had another effect- besides simply stimulating the pleasure center of the human brain. Seras's wound began to close, and her blood loss slowed. The monster growled in disapproval at having his meal cut short. He opened his mouth wide and was just about to bite down, but then he hesitated and pulled back.

When he'd first risen and burst out of his death chamber, the creature was feral. It knew only hunger and operated solely on instinct. But now, now it had fed just enough for a spark of reason to return to its mind. The monster stood up and looked around, then it looked down at the police girl- who'd already passed out from a combination of blood loss, exhaustion... and the drain of coming down from the artificial high induced by the monster's 'kiss'.

Finally, the creature looked down at his own bloodied hands- his face holding and expression of confusion and shock. "I... What am I?" the monster questioned. Then his face turned back to the unconscious girl lying on the floor. He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

The monster wasn't sure how or why, but the blood he'd drank had come with flashes of memory. The first victim had been dark, psychotic and utterly devoid of higher reasoning. He was trash, and the monster left his body there to rot... But this girl? She was different. Pain, suffering, perseverance, intelligence and a strange purity of spirit? There was something about her... something interesting.

The monster moved quickly and quietly, sneaking the two of them out of the morgue without anyone seeing. Then he searched through the memories he'd gotten from the girl. He was looking for a safe spot to hide himself and the girl, and he found one. Her apartment was near. He'd take her there, and let her rest... for now.

* * *

*This is the faker Seras made swallow a Harkonnen shell near the end of the anime.

(Well, what did you think? Please review and let me know if you liked it, thanks.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.)


	2. The Uninvited Guest

**AN: ** Okay, the first chapter went over well enough that I decided to try to squeeze one more out pretty quickly. Hope you all enjoy. It will be at least two weeks until the next one though. First Quarter finals, working on a new House (that, believe me, needs A LOT of work) and a family get together have filled up my schedule for the next couple of weeks. :P

**PS.**I got the idea for the opening to this chapter from something KawiiKittyChan did in her "Seed of corruption" fan fic. So credit for Seras's 'waking dream' goes to her.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Uninvited Guest**

Vampire! There was a vampire after her. She could see his head in between her legs, could feel him licking the warm blood that flowed so dangerously... tantalizingly close to the most sacred area of her virgin body. She had to get away. Had to struggle free of the horrible monster that had her helplessly in his grasp. She had... had to do _something_, anything. She tried to push him away; however as he (it?) continued to lap at her thigh, she could feel an unfamiliar and frightening pleasure begin to well up within her. Soon her strength and will started to erode under the force of... whatever that wonderful feeling coursing through her was. And eventually conscious thought was lost beneath a sea of forbidden ecstasy.

Lightning flashed. Thunder cracked, and Seras awoke with a gasp. She bolted up into a sitting position; but as the girl looked around her, she suddenly became aware of the familiar surroundings. This was no morgue. This was... it was her bedroom. She relaxed into her firm, yet comfortable, full sized mattress and sighed in relief. "Just a dream. It was only a dream," she whispered as her eyes slowly began to close again.

"Just a dream? But dreams indeed are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream*... Police Girl," a deep, smug voice replied, and Seras's eyes snapped back open.

She sat back up and looked around her bedroom again. And this time she noticed something in the furthest, darkest corner. Two little pinpricks of red light were watching her from the inky blackness. Seras's arm jutted out, and she quickly turned on the lamp which sat on her nightstand. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the increased lighting, but then she saw him- the 'man' from what she'd a few seconds ago dismissed as nothing more than a dream- sitting in one of her kitchen-table chairs.

He was dark, hansom- with long, flowing raven hair that hung loosely down to his chest. However the far too pale skin, glowing red eyes and wide toothy smile across his face set her on edge. Indeed, his appearance would've been very frightening, where it not for the fact that he'd apparently donned clothes from her closet in order to cover up the naked form she'd beheld in the morgue. The clothes were fairly gender neutral- having been taken mostly from some of her spare police uniforms -but they didn't fit quite right, giving him a slightly comical appearance that did a lot to offset his more... intimidating features.

"Who... who are you?" Seras asked when it became obvious that her 'guest' wasn't going to pounce on her like something out of a B-class horror movie. 'And what are you doing in my bedroom?' she felt like adding, but didn't chance it. Who knew what this creature wanted or how it might react to a more challenging response?

"I," the creature began, but paused. He looked thoughtful for a moment, as if he was surprised(?), puzzled(?), confused(?). "I am the one who saved your life," he finally answered.

"Saved my life?"

"Don't you remember, Police Girl?" the monster asked in an amused, slightly playful tone. "You would've bled to death if not for me." The creature paused again and seemed to consider his last statement. "Though I suppose that pathetic punk may have blown your pretty, little head off before you had the chance to... Either way, you would not be alive right now, were it not for me."

Now it was Seras's turn to look surprised. She did- somewhat vaguely -recall what he'd told her. Did she really owe her life to this... this monster? If she did, what would he demand as payment for the debt? And why- despite the situation -did she feel... pleased by the fact that he'd called her head pretty?

"Are... are you a vampire?" Seras asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"It would appear that way," her guest replied.

Now what was that suppose to mean? Was he... was he mocking her? He didn't seem to be. His last statement had carried a more solemn tone than any which had proceeded it. Seras raised an eyebrow. "Well, don't you know?"

"It seems," he began slowly, "that I can't remember. I can remember common dates, events, histories; but anything pertaining to my own identity..." the creature shook his head. "I don't even know my name."

Seras looked down for a moment. Was... was she feeling empathy for this creature? He wasn't some little, lost puppy. He was a monstrous master of darkness. And yet... and yet she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. However, that feeling was quickly replaced by cautious curiosity as the creature continued, "And that's where you come in."

"What do you mean?"

"As a police officer, you have certain resources at your disposal. I want you to use those resources to find out who I am and where I came from, and I want you to do this without letting anyone else know about my existence."

Well, he didn't want much now, did he? No, he was only asking her to misappropriate police resources and use them to figure out his identity, all the while keeping his existence and involvement in what had happened at the morgue a secret from her captain. No, he didn't want much at all. Heck, he probably expected her to put him up until she figured out who he was too. Sure, why not? And while she was at it, she could invite Frankenstein, the Mummy and the Wolf-Man over. Oh yes, she'd just throw a big party for all the monsters- right there in her little one-bedroom-apartment.

"I... I can't."

This reply seemed to upset the creature. "I saved your life," he growled as he stood up, "twice! I tended your wound, carried you home, stripped the blood-soaked clothes from off your back, dressed you in one of your cute little pairs of pajamas and laid you down in your bed! I covered you and then waited and watched over you until your strength returned and you regained consciousness!" The monster was beside her bed now, leaning over it- over her, his hands pressed down on both sides of her- effectively pinning her in. "Were it not for me, you would be lying on some autopsy table right now, instead of home in your nice, warm bed. And after all of this, you would refuse _my_ request for aid?!" He sounded incredulous.

And the irrational part of Seras's mind told her to just pull the covers up over her head- like she had as a little girl whenever she'd been scared of monsters. Every child knew that bed covers formed a magical barrier, and monsters couldn't harm you if you were completely under them. And since the rational side of Seras's mind hadn't quite caught up yet, she obeyed the irrational part without even thinking about it.

For a moment, the creature just eyed the lump of covers strangely. Then, slowly, he began to chuckle. "A bit old to be hiding under the covers, aren't we?" he asked in an amused tone that seemed to lack all but a trace of his usual smugness.

Seras peaked an eye out from under the covers to find the creature no longer leaning over her, though he still stood by her bedside. "Come on out, Police Girl. I'm not going to bite you," he practically cooed as the smug edge reentered his voice.

Still, the fact that the creature was no longer leaning over her... and didn't seem angered any more was enough for Seras to feel safe in pulling the covers down- at least enough to expose her head. "Alright," she said after a moment's hesitation.

"'Alright', what?" the creature asked, and his face seemed genuinely unsure of what she was referring to.

"Alright, I'll help you find out who... or maybe I should say 'what' you are. After what you did for me, I suppose I owe you that much. And I'll keep your secret too," the girl replied, and the monster smiled. 'Though his smile did seem to fade a little as she continued, "But after that, we're even. And you have to go find yourself some other maiden to... 'play' with. And there'll be no biting while you're here... AND you're not to come into my bedroom without permission." Seras's tone was strict and authoritative, but that was somewhat undercut by the way her body trembled slightly. It was obvious that she wasn't sure she could actually get away with setting those 'ground rules'.

Still, the monster seemed willing- though not enthusiastic -to accept them. "As you wish, Police Girl," he said as he bent into an overdone, slightly mocking bow. And then the creature left the girl's bedroom. "You should get some more rest. You're next shift doesn't start for another six hours," he said as he stood just outside the room.

"How do you," she began.

But he cut her off with a quiet, "Goodnight, Police Girl." as he closed the door.

* * *

Morning came, and Seras was awoken by the terribly annoying ring of her nightstand alarm clock. The girl moaned in protest as she reached out and shut the blasted thing off. Then she spent approximately five minutes psyching herself up to get out of bed. Normally, she didn't have nearly so much trouble. In fact she'd always been a bit of a morning person. But the girl was still suffering lingering effects from her blood loss the previous night, and it wasn't until her stomach rumbled that Seras finally managed to drag herself out of bed.

She walked over to her closet and took out a fresh uniform. Then she went to her dresser and grabbed a clean set of undergarments and socks. Finally, Seras opened her bedroom door and stepped outside. She saw her house guest sitting on her couch, watching TV. And as she made her way to the apartment's single bathroom, the girl did her best to keep from staring at the vampire who was perched on her couch- his face practically glued to her television -as if such a thing were perfectly normal for a master of darkness.

Seras entered the bathroom, closed (and locked) the door behind her and then removed her pajamas. She blushed as she thought about how she'd come to be waring them in the first place. The girl wasn't quite sure if she should be grateful that her guest had taken the time to remove her blood-soaked uniform, clean her up and dress her in the comfortable pajamas... or upset over the fact that he'd doubtless gotten quite an eyeful while doing it. So the blush was caused by a strange mixture of embarrassment and anger. Still, a case could be made either way, so she decided not to say anything about the... 'incident'- unless, of course, _he_ brought it up again.

Seras showered, toweled off and dressed herself. She felt more awake now that she'd been moving around and had taken her morning shower, so she exited the bathroom in a more upbeat mood. "Have you been watching that thing all night?" the girl asked her vampiric guest as she came out of the bathroom to find him still staring at the 'telly'.

"Not much else to do here," he grumbled in reply.

Seras walked over to her apartment's kitchenette. She grabbed a bowl from one cupboard, a spoon from a draw and the milk from her fridge. "Well, you should be careful," she said as she set the items down on her small table. "They don't call them 'idiot boxes' for nothing. That stuff will rot your brain if you watch too much of it," she continued as she pulled a box of Coco Pebbles from another cupboard and added it to the table.

"Hmph," the vampire huffed in response as he got up and turned the television off. "It's a little late for that," he said- his voice laced with irony -as he walked over and claimed the seat across from his... somewhat reluctant host.

"You want some?" Seras offered as she filled her bowl with the sugary, kid's cereal. She always ate sugary cereals for breakfast, an indulgence that she figured brushing her teeth twice a day and getting so much exercise at work easily made up for. However, as soon as the offer escaped her lips, Seras felt foolish for making it.

"Not really my... cup of 'tea'," the vampire replied causing the girl to flush slightly in embarrassment.

Of course her guest wouldn't want any cereal. _He'd_ much rather suck down a blood packet, she was sure. But the poor girl was still having a little trouble adjusting to the idea of a vampiric house guest.

"Though, if you're offering, I wouldn't turn down a little taste of some sweet, fresh, virgin blood," the vampire continued and shot a hungry look at his host's neck.

"Ah... I seem to remember you agreeing to a 'no biting rule' while you're here," Seras replied and then chuckled nervously. Meanwhile the hand she had hidden under the table groped for a sidearm that was no longer present.

The vampire just threw his head back and laughed deeply. "Worried, child?" he asked after his momentary burst of apparent insanity left Seras wide-eyed and looking confused. "Can't take a joke?"

"Well, I guess I just don't consider the idea, of having a monster sucking on my neck, to be all that funny," the girl replied sounding a little put out. Her guest just chuckled and then remained silent as she began to eat her breakfast.

The vampire watched the girl as she dug into her chocolaty breakfast with all the joy of the little children for which the cereal was actually marketed. And after a while, his face pulled into a small grin.

"What?" Seras asked as she noticed this and abruptly stopped wolfing down her breakfast.

"Oh, nothing... You just look kind of cute with that trail of chocolate milk running down the side of your lip."

Seras eyed her guest strangely. Why did she feel joy from the fact this monster had just said that she looked cute? She wondered about this for a few seconds, and then decided to dismiss the question in favor of a more practical one. "So, what do I call you?"

The vampire's brow furled. "I already told you that I can't remember my name."

"Yes, I know... But I've gotta have _something_ to call you. Hmmmm, how about..." Seras thought for a moment, but she knew very little about vampire stories and lore. In fact the only vampire she could even recall was, perhaps, the most famous one of all. "Well, I suppose I could call you Dracula... but it's a little long."

"Vlad," the vampire replied, his voice sounding strong but a little distant- almost as if he were trying to recall something that was 'on the tip of his tongue'.

"Huh?"

"'Count Dracula' was based on the historical figure of Vlad Drăculea. So, I guess you could call me that... at least until we discover who I really am."

Seras raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd lost your memory."

The vampire, 'Vlad', grinned. "I told you I still remember history and events... just not anything pertaining to my own identity."

* * *

*Line from Shakespeare's Hamlet- Act 2, scene 2

(Well, what did you think? Please review and let me know if you liked it, thanks.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.)

To Miss Misty: Thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter and liked the idea behind this fic. I hope you had as much fun with the second chapter and are liking the way things are progressing. ;)


	3. Questions and Mounting Tension

**Questions and Mounting Tension**

**AN: ** Alright, I've finally found the time to update again. Unfortunately, this is mostly a filler chapter, but I need some of the things mentioned here to advance the plot, and due to the time frame I wouldn't feel right just stating them and moving on- I think it needs this kind of pacing. But hopefully, you'll find this enjoyable filler at least, and the next chapter (if there is a next chapter) will have more action... and more interactions between Seras and Alucard. Well, hope you enjoy... and that at least a few of you guys and gals are still interested in this. ;)

**PS. **I think I'm going to try updating all my (non-co-written) fics bi-weekly from now on.

* * *

After preparing for her job, Seras got out two pieces of paper and a black ink pen. First the 'police girl' used the pen to thickly scribble all over one piece of paper. She moved her small hand as fast as she could and pressed into the paper with nearly enough force to break the tip of the pen. The girl had a very determined look in her eyes as her hand franticly glided over the page, and the monster (that they'd agreed to call "Vlad") watched her with a certain interest. His lip curled slightly at the girl's ferocity.

However, the half-smile instantly vanished as Seras stopped scribbling and turned to look at her guest. "Give me your hand," she said offhandedly as she stretched her own out to him.

"What, no 'please', Police Girl?" the monster replied in a mock chiding tone.

Seras didn't appear very amused. "You wanted me to figure out who you are. I fail to see why I should have to say 'please' when I'm just trying to do something you asked of me... Now, hurry up- the ink's going to dry."

Vlad let out a chuckle. The girl had a point... and some spirit as well. The monster extended his hand, and the girl took it. Then she slowly began to press each finger into the makeshift ink pad she'd just created, doing her best to concentrate on fully covering each digit- not the fact that she was technically holding the monster's hand... or the feeling that this fact sent through her.

When the fingers were completely covered in ink, Seras gently, yet firmly pressed them unto the other piece of paper. Vlad bent down next to her- giving her more freedom to maneuver his hand but also bringing his face nearly side by side with the girl's. The innocent virgin couldn't help but blush as she felt the monster's cheek graze her own. The feeling of his cold breath teasing the side of her neck didn't help to calm her down either.

Vlad sensed the girl's emotions and decided to play with her a little. "It would be so easy, you know?" the monster cooed, and the girl's brow furled as she pondered the meaning of that statement. To help her arrive at the right conclusion, Vlad's long, serpentine tongue rolled out of his mouth and flicked over Seras's jugular.

The girl's eyes went wide, and she quickly slammed the chair backwards- into the monster's body. "Bloody pervert!" She exclaimed as she bolted upward and stormed out of the room- still holding the paper with Vlad's finger prints on it.

The monster just chuckled slightly and grinned as the girl roughly slammed the apartment door on her way out.

* * *

By the time Seras reached the police station, she'd calmed back down. After all, what her guest had done wasn't so bad, was it? Sure, he was a pervert for... for licking her like that... and undressing her... and everything else. But surely he'd only been teasing her earlier. If he'd intended to 'turn' her, he'd had ample opportunity to do so before she woke up the previous night, hadn't he?

No, he must've been merely playing with her- bating her to see how she would react. And so, Seras had calmed down... and then she'd started to replay the event in her head and wonder just what her guest thought about her reaction. Had she surprised him? Offended him? Or was that defiant anger exactly what he'd wanted to see all along? And why did it matter to her what that monster thought of her reaction anyway? It wasn't like they'd be together for much longer. She'd run his prints and sit down with one of the sketch artists- maybe look through some old mugshots. She'd find out who he was. A blood sucking monster just _had_ to be in the system... somewhere- no way he found a way to feed for... however many years he'd been around, without leaving some kind of evidence behind. And then, once her guest knew his true identity, he'd be back off stalking dark alleyways and terrorizing other young girls- without even paying her a second thought.

Seras was surprised to find that this scenario did not serve to comfort her. Rather, she felt a pang of... sorrow(?); loss(?); jealousy(?)... some unpleasant emotion. And the girl shook her head in an effort to clear such thoughts. It was foolish. She'd just met him. Surely she couldn't... couldn't... have feelings for that creature back at her apartment? No, she was not some starry eyed teenager who fell in and out of love at the first sign of a handsome face. She was a police _woman_- a strong willed, logical law enforcement officer. And he... he was a distraction to her pursuit of justice- specifically justice for her parents... and herself. She'd be far better off once her guest was gone and she could get her life back on track- focused back on bringing down Jacob Conway.

Seras entered her squad room and removed the piece of paper from her pocket; but before she had a chance to do anything with her guest's finger prints, her captain called her to his office. "Officer Victoria, I need to speak with you... now!" he growled- not yelled -across the room, and Seras gulped before heading to her captain's office.

"Close the door," her superior officer ordered as the girl walked into his office, and Seras was very aware of the fact that- unlike their previous 'talks' -he did not offer her a seat this time.

"Alright, Victoria, what's going on?" the captain asked once they were safe from any possible eavesdropping.

"Going on, Sir?"

Seras's captain gave her a long, reproving stare. "Don't try that clueless act with me, young lady. I've known you too long. First you leave here an hour before your shift is up because you, 'just received a phone call with a lead on one of your cases'. Did you really think I wouldn't bother to check the luds? I know that call came from the morgue. Then, about a half hour later we receive an anonymous call informing us that gunfire was heard coming from that same morgue. The squad car we sent in to investigate never reports back but then- just as we're about to go in in force -I get a call about some supposed 'bio-hazard'. The government seals off the entire block- only the 'containment crew' sent in looks more like paramilitaries than doctors or scientists. And then you come waltzing in here without a scratch and acting like every thing's fine? What's going on?!"

Seras was stunned. She knew about the thugs, and the death of her friend- though she was still doing her best to block that scene. But she had no idea about the squad car... or the fact that the area was now in a bio-hazard lock down. The only thing she did know was that some mysterious vampire had come back to life, saved her and was currently waiting back at her apartment. And she certainly couldn't tell her captain any of that. So the girl did the only thing she could. She lied.

"Sir, I'm afraid I know nothing about any of this. When I left last night everything was still status quo at the morgue. The coroner gave me some info on that call girl who was killed a couple of days ago, and I left to go investigate the crime scene again. I must have gotten out of there just before... whatever happened... um, happened."

The captain's eyes narrowed and it was obvious that he didn't believe the girl's claim. After a moment of silent contemplation, the hard face of Seras's captain softened into the kinder one she remembered from her childhood- the 'good days' of her childhood. "Seras, I can't help protect you unless I know what's going on."

What's going on? She'd very much like to know that herself. "I'm sorry... Will. But I honestly don't know."

The captain, Will, sighed and nodded. He could tell by Seras's tone that her last statement (at least) had been truthful, and he'd noticed the flash of shock on her face when she'd heard about the missing squad car and the bio-hazard cover up. Whatever his Goddaughter had gotten herself involved in, she obviously didn't know what was really going on any more than he did. "Alright, Officer Victoria... you're dismissed."

Seras turned to leave, but before she could pull the door open her captain continued in a quieter, almost hushed voice, "And, Seras, if you find yourself getting in over your head, call me. I'll help you out with whatever I can."

The girl turned her head back to her Godfather and flashed him a brief smile. Then she opened the door and recomposed herself into the picture of any other bobby coming out of an irate superior's office.

* * *

Seras wanted to know what the bloody hell she'd gotten herself into... Unfortunately, the only one she knew who might possibly be able to answer that question was currently suffering from amnesia. Why did everything always have to happen to her anyway? So, after a couple moments' consideration, the girl decided that her best option was to continue with what she was already planning. Discovering her guest's true identity could only help lead to the answers that she, her captain... and the families of those missing bobbies wanted.

So, after recovering her back up sidearm- an old, six shot, revolver -Seras ran her guest's finger prints. Then- while the computer searched for possible matches -the girl went looking for a sketch artist. She briefly considered reporting her main gun as missing- it was a police requirement after all. (No one wanted cop guns out there on the streets, and reporting the weapon missing helped protect the officer and his/her department from negative fallout if the weapon was used in the commission of a crime.) However, Seras quickly dismissed the idea. If she reported the missing weapon, she'd be forced to either admit how she'd lost it or lie in her report, and either one of those could easily come back to bite her in the rear.

Once Seras found a sketch artist she trusted (at least to a point)- one who was more than just a casual acquaintance, she sat down with the man and did her best to describe the physical features of her 'guest'. More than once the artist stopped, looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Finally he just came out and asked, "Your not planning on using this to track down an ex-boyfriend... are you?" His tone was mostly joking, but Seras still couldn't keep from blushing.

"No!" she quickly asserted. "Wh-why would you ask that?"

"Just the way you're describing him- piercing eyes; strong jaw; narrow, slightly pointed face but without those sickly looking sunken in cheeks; long, free flowing raven locks of hair -these aren't exactly the kinds of suspect descriptions I'm use to working with."

Seras's blush deepened. She hadn't even realized what she must of sounded like; but now that she knew, she had to offer up some explanation. "He's... not a suspect; he's a friend." The girl giggled nervously.

The artist's lip curled slightly. "_Just_ a 'friend'?"

"Yes, just a friend, Antonio," Seras insisted firmly, but the look on the artist's face said that he didn't wholly believe her. Still, he continued his work without further questioning the girl's motives. After all, it wasn't like she'd have been the first police officer to use department resources to aid in the romance department- there was a reason that pretty women very seldom got traffic tickets. And Antonio figured that what was good for the gander was also good for the goose.

Once Seras had the sketch, she returned to find the computer still searching for a finger print match. She sighed- nothing could ever be easy -and then ran the sketch through the facial recognition software. After that she started her regular shift and did her best to make up for lost time.

On her lunch break, Seras did some light shopping and purchased a set of clothing for her guest- anything to get him out of _her_ clothes. It was a simple outfit- just a pair of jeans, boxers, socks and a black T-shirt with the words, "I'm a vampire... bite me." emblazoned, in blood-red lettering, across the front. The girl giggled as she saw the T-shirt and figured that, if she was buying him an outfit, the least she could do was have a little fun with it. A box of cheap sneakers completed the ensemble.

When Seras returned to the station house, she found that her finger print search had failed to produce any results. However, there was one hit in the facial recognition system. Apparently her guest was 'a person of interest' in the disappearance of some reporter a half year earlier. Seras was surprised to find that the case had been taken over by MI-5. MI-5? Really? That was Britten's intelligence and espionage agency! Seriously, what _had_ she gotten herself into? Was James Bond going to show up next and start questioning her? At this point she really wouldn't have been surprised if he did.

And was there some significance to the fact that the missing woman was a reporter? Had she discovered what he was, and had he killed her to keep her silent? If so, Seras wondered, what would that mean for her... if her guest was to suddenly recover his memory? Would he trust her to keep her promise and never reveal what he really was? She hoped so, because the alternatives were either to die a horrible death... or keep a blood sucking monster hidden in her closet until... only God knew when. And, although she was starting to warm up to the idea of having the creature around, she knew that eventually he (it?) was going to get hungry.

And then what was she supposed to do? Her principles would not allow her to harbor someone who preyed on innocent lives. But then, even if she wanted to kick him out, how exactly could she pull that off? It wasn't like she could overpower him and force him out... or whack him over the head with a frying pan and drag his unconscious body into custody. The guy was a freaken vampire after all.

Seras sighed and once again decided that she simply had too many questions- and not enough answers -to figure out what she should do. So, once again, the girl decided to stay her course... at least until she had a better grasp on what she was dealing with.

After her shift, Seras headed home. And, although her police training included detecting and avoiding surveillance, the nondescript vehicles that were following her stayed back and switched off just often enough to keep her from noticing them. She arrived back at her apartment building, and a dark van pulled into a parking lot a couple of buildings away. The driver's eyes never left the young cop's form; and, for once, it was not her shapely figure that kept the man so... riveted.

As Seras entered the building, the shadowed figure watching her finally turned away. "The police officer who owns the gun has just returned home, Sir," the man spoke into his radio. "No sign of the target yet."

"Understood," a voice came back through the radio. "Continue to observe, and report back when you have a visual on the target... Then we'll begin the... 'silencing' operation."

(Well, what did you think? Please review and let me know if you liked it, thanks.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.)

(To Too_lazy_to_log_in: Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the second chapter at least. Hopefully you liked this one too- though I don't think it was as good as the last. Anyway, thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy this.)


	4. Hellsing?

**Hellsing? **

**AN: ** Okay, I got this one done a couple of days early, though it'll probably be the full two weeks before the next update is ready. Anyway, I hope you guys and gals enjoy the new chapter- should be a bit more exciting than the last one. ;)

* * *

Seras returned home to discover that her house guest had made himself quite comfortable during her absence. When she opened the door to her apartment, she found him lazily resting on her couch. This time, however, he was not watching her 'telly'. No, while she was out he had apparently discovered her late night reading stash. Several detective novels- both new and classical -were piled up beside the couch; and as Seras entered her apartment, she saw that 'Vlad' was currently engrossed in The Hound of the Baskervilles.

"Making yourself at home, I see," Seras commented, sounding a little put out. Although, if they were going to be living together, she figured that she'd have to get use to having some one else use the... 'communal property' without asking permission. Wait! Live together? What was she thinking?! She was most certainly _not_ going to end up living with this monster... at least not long term; or so she told herself.

The corner of Vlad's lip curled slightly. "Well, I was having trouble sleeping, and I needed something to do while you were out."

She supposed that made sense. There really wasn't a whole lot going on in her apartment. Perhaps she should've just been grateful that her guest had sated his... 'restlessness' on something as... safe as reading? Seras hated to think what other options might have run through the mind of the monster which was staying in her apartment. "Ah, Did... did you enjoy the books?"

"Some of them," Vlad replied as he raised himself from the couch. "Sherlock Holmes is interesting enough, but I found that Monk novel a little... annoying."

Seras let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess he is... BUT that's part of his charm," she replied, and her guest gave her a strange, unconvinced sort of look. "Well, _you_ don't have to like him... but _I_ do," she responded- her voice carrying a playful, slightly taunting tone.

The vampire made an amused huff. "So, you find out anything about my identity?" he finally asked as he drew near, passing by a window- a beam of moonlight playing across his pale skin and slightly pointed features.

Seras did her best to ignore the sight which made her guest look so... inhuman. "Yeah... but not much. Seems you're a 'person' of interest in one of the cases MI-5 poached from us last year."

"MI-5?"

"British intelligence. And that means that, whoever you are, the Crown has some kind of interest in you, which could be good... or very, very bad."

"I see," Vlad replied, his expression thoughtful. "And... is that all you could find out?"

"Well, it's only been one day," Seras replied and wondered just what she was saying. He'd asked her if that was all she could discover; that was her out- her chance to get this monster out of her apartment... and her life! All she needed to do was say yes. "I'll do some more digging tomorrow." Bloody hell! Had... had she just invited this strange vampire to spend another night? What was she thinking?!

"Why, Police Girl, I do believe you're starting to like me," Vlad half-teased and smiled.

And Seras tried very hard to dismiss the ridiculously happy feeling that smile sent through her. "I-I," she stuttered for a second while her mind scrambled for a way to deflect the conversation. "I've brought you some clothes," the girl finally commented as she remembered the plastic bag still in her hand. "Here," she said and lightly tossed the bag to her guest.

Vlad caught it effortlessly, and his expression seemed to pass somewhere between satisfied and pleased as he pulled the garments- one by one- out of the plastic bag and looked them over. That was, however, until he came to the shirt. Then he paused and gave Seras the strangest look she'd ever seen him make. "Police Girl, is this you're idea of a joke?" he asked, a single eyebrow arched upwards.

And Seras failed to restrain a little giggle. "Oh come on, I think it's fitting... It's just so very... you," She replied and then giggled again.

"Not funny, Police Girl," Vlad responded, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry and the clothes _you_ bought would be, where?"

As much as he hated to admit it, she did have a point. She was the one paying for the outfit after all... and it wasn't like he had a multitude of choices. Besides, even the ridiculous 'bite me' shirt had to be _slightly_ more dignified than continuing to parade around in what was technically woman's clothing. "Fine," Vlad consented.

Then a mischievous smirk crossed the vampire's face, and he peeled the girl's shirt off his chest. At first Seras just stared in disbelief as her small living room suddenly seemed to become very warm. He was going to change right there... in front of her! Luckily the girl's mind snapped out of its short lived, shock induced daze just as her guest's hands began to unbutton the pants he was wearing.

Seras's hand quickly shot up to shield her eyes. "Not out here, you bloody pervert!" the girl exclaimed. "Go change in the bathroom!" she continued and heard her guest emit an amused chuckle, though she did not uncover her eyes until she'd heard the bathroom door open and safely close. Then the girl removed her hand and cautiously looked around, lest the monstrous vampire was attempting to trick her. Fortunately, she saw no sight of his pale, toned skin; and she correctly deduced that her guest had indeed gone into the bathroom to finish changing.

The girl let out a relieved sigh and subconsciously fanned herself with one hand. And she'd invited this bloody pervert to spend _another_ night? What had she been thinking?! Seras sighed again, and then walked over to her couch.

She slowly lowered herself onto it and attempted to relax for a moment or two- before she'd again have to deal with her guest. However, it seemed that the fates were truly against her that night; for, no sooner had she sat down, then she heard someone knocking on her apartment door. "Of course, that just... figures," Seras grumbled as she got back up from the couch. "Coming," she called out more loudly as she walked over to the door.

Seras reached her apartment door and put her eye up to the peep whole only to find another eye staring back at her; and before her brain had a chance to process this, there was a light thud. In one fluid move, her door was roughly forced open, and the girl eeped as it swung forward and to the left, knocking her unto the floor.

Seras recognized the sound of a two-man, metal ram- a door breaching tool often used by police officers -being unceremoniously dropped to the floor. Someone had just stormed her apartment, and- whoever they were -they were definitely not local hoodlums pulling a B&E. The girl reached for her gun as she started to rise, but she was dissuaded from continuing such actions by the barrel of a .44 magnum being quickly jammed against her forehead.

The man holding the gun, locked eyes with the girl for a moment. He seemed to be scrutinizing her- looking for something in her expression, her face or eyes. "Easy there. Just stay down, and you won't get hurt," he finally called out in a voice that seemed strangely passive- almost as if the words were intended to calm her, rather than threaten.

But before Seras had a chance to ponder this new information, the door to her bathroom exploded in a hail of splinters, and her guest came charging through. Concentrated fire from five large caliber automatic rifles met the attacking vampire, and the impact of the burning rounds hit Vlad like mid-sized car barreling down the highway, halting the monster's charge. He fell, his flesh- as well as the new shirt Seras had just bought him -shredded.

One of the men called out, "Target down," as a salty taste invaded Seras's mouth, and the girl was surprised to discover that she was crying. She hadn't cried in years- not since the death of her parents. Who was this man... this monster to provoke such a reaction? They'd only met a couple of days ago; she barely knew him.

Then the voice was heard again, "Hmm, That's strange. They usually turn to dust."

Upon hearing this- nearly offhanded -comment, the man holding the gun to Seras's face suddenly became concerned. He hid it well. However, as a bobby, Seras had been professionally trained to read body language, and there was something about the way the man's stance shifted slightly- something that conveyed... apprehension. While keeping the gun trained on her, the man chanced a quick look at the body of her guest. "No, it can't be," he whispered to himself, then quickly turned back. "Where did you find him? Where did he come from?" the man asked in a voice bordering on panic.

"I-I," Seras stuttered, and the gun was pressed against her more firmly.

"Where did he come from before the morgue?!"

"The... the Thames," Seras replied and saw the man's composure break down entirely.

He shook his head in disbelief and then quickly turned and shouted, "No, everyone, stay away from the body! Get back! Get back!"

However, the warning came too late. A man had already strayed just a little too close to one of the 'dead' vampire's arms. It jerked out, grabbed the guy by his ankle and pulled him down faster than could be seen human eyes; and before anyone else even knew what was happening, Vlad had already sunk his fangs into his latest victim's throat.

Before the other's had time to react, the man's body was already drained, and Seras's guest was lunging at the group. He tore through them with ease, ripping apart their bodies as if they were made of nothing more than paper-mache and eagerly drinking up the blood that sputtered and seeped out of them. One of the men- the furthest in back -got off a couple of lucky shots, but, by themselves, they failed to even slow the monster down.

The man threatening Seras just stared in disbelief. It couldn't be happening. It just couldn't; it was impossible! Seras noticed how distracted the man was and used the opportunity to finally draw her gun. She aimed low and fired, blowing out the man's knee cap, and he dropped to the floor.

Vlad was finished with the others, and he now stood staring at Seras, an approving grin upon his face. "So, the 'Kitten' has claws, does she?" he cooed and then laughed maniacally as he reached down to grab the injured man by his throat. The vampire lifted the man up even with himself and began to pull him closer.

The man still seemed in a state of shock. "No! You... you can't do this!"

At first the comments didn't seem to be doing much good. Vlad simply chuckled and it appeared as though he was going to enjoy proving to the man just how wrong he was. "Oh, no? Watch carefully."

"No! You work for us! Don't you remember Hellsing?!!!"

The vampire's fangs were nearly to this latest victim's throat; but at the mention of that last word, fragmented memories flooded the monster's mind- memories of defeat, torture, imprisonment and then... and then memories of a young girl coming to him, setting him free. The monster pushed the man back, as more fragmented memories came- flashes of the girl growing older and a few random images of her ordering him to the slaughter. The top of Vlad's hands began to burn, and as he looked at them, he saw a faint red glow emanating from within.

"What, what's happening?" he asked himself. "What-Who's Hellsing?" he shouted at the man who was now just lying on the floor. Was it the name of the organization? The man who tortured him? Imprisoned him? Or was it the little girl who'd set him free?

However, the only reply the vampire got was in the form of incoherent babbling about how he couldn't do what he'd just done, and Vlad growled in frustration. He wouldn't get any useful information out of this man; the guy was in complete shock. The monster snorted, and then his eyes once more drifted over to his host.

Seras had grabbed the phone off the wall and was dialing... someone. Quickly the vampire came up to the girl and pushed the hangup 'hook' with his thumb. "What are you doing?"

"Calling this in."

"No."

"No? What do you mean NO?! My home was just invaded by a bunch of paramilitaries!"

"And all but one of them is lying dead on your floor. How exactly do you intend to explain that?"

"Simple, I'm going to tell them the truth."

"That a vampire killed those men? They'll never believe you."

"They will when I show them you."

Vlad stopped and seemed to consider that. "No," he commented after a brief moment. "I can't go with you. I can't be where your government can find me... not yet, not until I know more about what's going on."

"What do you mean?" Seras asked, her voice calming somewhat and taking on a slightly curious tone.

"I think... I think that man was telling the truth- that I really did work for... whatever organization sent them here. And, judging by how well equipped the men were, that organization most likely either belongs to your government or a foreign power. Either way, I can't let your people find me."

Now it was Seras's turn to pause and think. "Well then you can't stay here. There was gunfire. Even if I don't call this in, someone's going to. This place will be swarming with police."

"Agreed. I need to go, but... I want you to come with me?"

Seras looked surprised by that admission. "You-You do? Why?" she asked.

"Because," Vlad answered, "If you stay here you're in danger. If I worked for a foreign power, you could be charged with treason if anyone finds out you hid me here; and if I worked for your government, they'll have you brought in and interrogated."

"So? I've got nothing to hide. I've done nothing wrong," Seras defended.

Vlad shook his head. "That won't matter. Whatever I was into wasn't by the book. If it is a division of your government pulling the strings, then they've already proven that they're not above home invasion, threatening civilians and attempted murder. It's not going to matter that you haven't done anything wrong. They'll use you to get to me, and..." The vampire paused and looked away from the girl's face. "And I don't want you getting hurt," he said in a voice scarcely above a whisper. "Not because you tried to help me," he quickly added.

Seras bit her lip and paused. What was happening was unreal. Yesterday she was just like any other bobby on the street, and now? Now she was consorting with vampires and getting involved in black ops conspiracies. Everything was happening too fast. She needed time to think, time to emotionally distance herself. However, she suddenly heard the distant whine of sirens, and realized that her time was already up. So, unable to come to a logical, rational conclusion, Seras instead reacted on gut instinct; and her gut told her to go with the handsome monster, who was holding an outstretched arm to her, his face looking: expectant(?); hopeful(?); vulnerable(?).

The two quickly fled the apartment- stepping over the one, lone survivor from the group that had attacked. They ignored his continued babbling, but Seras did say a quick prayer for the man. Whoever he was, she truly believe that he'd been sincere in his claim that she would survive what was happening. He couldn't have been all bad, and Seras hated to think that she could've cost him his life. Had she? No, the police were already on their way, and Seras knew that meant an ambulance would be coming soon. It was doubtful that the shell shocked man would bleed out before he received medical attention.

* * *

Well, what did you think? Please review and let me know if you liked it, thanks.

**BTW: **I found a Hellsing/Twilight- non Twilight bashing -crossover that actually doesn't make me want to run screaming into the night. It's called "Survivor: Vampire Island" and is being written by a relative Hellsing new comer- Lion in the Land (Lila). The story's a 'what if' scenario that pits the Hellsing crew against the Twilight fakers. The battle field? An Island survival game show. It may sound weird (and it is), but it's also fun, humorous and pretty well thought out considering that Lila is actually letting her audience vote on who to 'cast off' next. If any of you are looking for something different, you should give it a try. You can find the fic on the Hellsing boards, in my favorites... or at this web address--- www dot fanfiction dot net/s/4920530/1/Survivor_Vampire_Island

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

To Miss Misty: Thanks for the reviews. :) I'm glad you've enjoyed the first few chapters. Hope you like this one as much. Yes, I'm not trying to be subtle here. Although it's still technically Alucard (Count Dracula) he's lost his memory (and with it the experiences of his many, many failed relationships, betrayals and those who'd abandoned him- like his first wife who committed suicide). As such, I'm writing him as a more open and honest (less cynical, jaded and distrustful) character. And as you said, " a pretty girl is a pretty girl." :) Oh, and don't worry. It's not just some game Alucard's playing. He's genuinely lost his memory, though he will be recovering bits and pieces as the story progresses. ;)


	5. Recovering

**Recovering**

**AN: ** Alright hopefully the site won't glitch this time and make you guys and gals wait a couple of days before it makes this chapter available. Sorry, again to those of you who had issues last time. Also this chapter is focused more on Integra- though Seras and 'Vlad' are still present for a decent sized chunk. But don't worry; after this, the focus will shift back to this story's two main characters.

* * *

In a white, sterile medical room, a patient's eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Ah, finally awake, huh?" a slightly nasal voice called out from the room's corner, and as the patient looked that way he saw a man in a suit sitting in a chair. The man's suit was a light blueish color, and a pair of thick glasses adorned his face. In the man's hands rested a notebook and pen. Focusing his eyes more, the patient could just make out the caps of other, 'back up' pens protruding from the man's front, left pocket.

"Wh-Where am I?" the patient rasped dryly.

"Safe," the man in the suit replied. "The doctors got to you in time; but, according to the paramedics you were rather hysterical when they first found you. It was necessary to sedate you before the doctors could go digging around in your knee and remove the bullet. However, once you were stabilized, they transferred you- at my... 'request' -to this private room.

"Now, I know you're in no condition to file an official report yet. I'm sure you're still suffering some lingering effects from the sedative... and I doubt the pain killers are helping much either. However, given the circumstances, I'm sure you understand that there's a certain... urgency surrounding knowledge over just what happened during your last silencing assignment."

"You from Hel-... the 'organization'?" the patient asked and then coughed from the effort.

"You may speak freely, Captain. I assure you the room is quite secure. And no, I'm not from Hellsing. I am... Well, you may think of me as an independent 'troubleshooter' attached to Her Majesty's service," the suited man answered as he rose, walked over to the patient, poured a cup of water- from a plastic, pale yellow pitcher -and handed it to him.

"Her Majesty?" the patient questioned after taking a few sips to wet his throat.

"Yes, the Queen is... concerned. This was the first time- since the new administration took over -that agents have been dispatched to deal with a legitimate, full fledged vampire," the suited man replied as he reclaimed his seat. "And the end results were... well, they weren't exactly what Her Majesty was hoping for."

"What you mean to say is that we screwed the pooch and now you're here to find out whose head to dangle from the gallows. And since I'm the only survivor... guess that means it's going to be mine, huh?"

The suited man actually chuckled at that- surprising the patient, who thus far had yet to see anything save cold logic from the other man. "Oh my no, you misunderstand. To be blunt, you are a small fish, and the Queen has no interest in your neck. However, as the sole survivor, your first hand account on how things went down is quite valuable. So, I'm here to find out exactly what went wrong."

"What is it you want me to say?" the patient asked cautiously.

"Why, only the truth of course. After all, if someone is- how did you put it? Oh, yes... If someone's head is going to be dangling from the gallows, it would be best to make sure it belongs to the right person."

* * *

Seras and Vlad carefully crept down the dark, concealing back alleyways of London as they fled from pursuers they couldn't even identify. Yet despite the circumstances, neither of them was truly afraid- just cautiously observant. The girl still had her revolver- five rounds remaining -and she was both a quick and deadly shot with the gun. Vlad, on the other hand, well the vampire had his strength, his claws, fangs, enhanced speed... and whatever other dark powers his kind typically possessed.

Still, were they to successfully avoid capture by whatever black ops organization was pursuing them, one thing was painfully obvious. "We need money," Alucard stated, and Seras knew that the vampire was right. They were going underground; they'd need money... lots of money: money for disguises; bribes; hideouts... ammo. However, needing and having were two very different things.

Seras had a 'rainy day' fund set aside in a savings account at her bank, but she couldn't very well access it. It would surely be traced. Besides, the rainy day fund of an honest bobby wouldn't come close to what the two really needed. So, the question remained; where were they going to get this money they so desperately needed?

"Well, I'm open to suggestions. Just how do you think we should go about getting the money, take out one of those popular, no collateral, wanted fugitive loans the banks are so keen on offering?" Seras asked, her voice carrying a witty tone that masked her internal feeling of foreboding.

Vlad's lip pulled slightly upwards as he turned to the girl following behind him. "Why borrow when you can steal?"

Steal? Was... was he suggesting that she become a common criminal? "I'm not about to become a petty thief," Seras firmly stated.

"Who said anything about petty?" Vlad responded coyly. "Besides," he then continued in a sly tone, "I doubt you'd object to the target I have in mind."

"I'm a police officer; I'd object to any 'target' you could come up with," Seras replied coldly and turned away from the monster who seemed intent on ruining her life.

However, as soon as Seras took her eyes off of the creature, she suddenly felt strong hands gently grasping her shoulders. "Any target?" a velvety, seductive voice whispered into the police girl's ear. "Even Jacob Conway?" it cooed.

And Seras's reaction to the name was neither subtle, nor hard to interpret. First her eyes went wide, then they narrowed as her whole body tensed. And the girl's blood began to boil within her veins. With barely contained hatred, Seras quickly spun around, causing Vlad's hands to fall from her shoulders and bringing their faces mere inches apart.

"What about Conway?" Seras asked, ignoring how close the monster's face now was to her own.

He, however, wasn't nearly so... 'deliberately ignorant'. No, he seemed to be enjoying both the closeness and the flaming spark of anger... of passion within the girl's eyes. The monster grinned broadly. "He has an illegal gambling joint not far from here. We could hit it, take the money- twenty to thirty thousand... at least -and be on our way in less than ten minutes. We'll get the money we need and, at the same time, strike back a little at the man who murdered your family," Vlad replied smoothly as he brought a hand up to cup the girl's chin.

She was starting to tremble now in a bizarre mixture of hate, temptation, and forbidden thoughts. She'd always been a 'good girl'; but here was this monster, this devil, encouraging her to be bad- to commit armed robbery. And he was using the one thing in her life that could make her actually consider such an act. To the good girl it was a dangerous and exciting temptation. And she was enjoying the feeling it sent through her; enjoying it so much in fact that when, she finally realized how close she was to this monster, another pleasant temptation shot through her.

Vlad must have realized this for he suddenly, slowly began to lean in- closing the small gap between their lips. However, just as they started to graze each other, the girl pulled back sharply. She took a couple of steps away from the monster and eyed him strangely. And, for a moment, Vlad looked a little... apprehensive- his expression surprised and unsure.

"And what if Conway comes after us? Trust me, _he_ will. He didn't get where he is today by letting people rob him and get away with it," Seras said, after a brief pause, apparently not wanting to broach the subject of their... 'half-kiss'.

And Vlad's lip curled upwards once more. "So much the better. With this black ops agency on our tale, the more dust we can kick up, the better off we are. Get a gang of criminals involved and it gives us a better chance to slip away during the crossfire."

Seras huffed, but she could see a sort of twisted logic in the vampire's reasoning. "Well, it seems you've thought of everything."

Vlad chuckled- apparently amused by the statement. "Why, thank you, Police Girl." And with that, he turned away and resumed his walking.

Then Seras's brow furled as she thought of something. Once again following the strange monster who had saved her life... and then made such a wonderful mess of it, the girl asked, "How did you know?"

"Know what?" Vlad replied nonchalantly.

"About my... history with Jacob Conway."

This time Vlad managed a full blown laugh. "Why the same way I knew where your apartment was, and the same way I know about this gambling place of Conway's- memories transmitted through the blood I've drunk. That thug's blood came with several details about his boss's operation and a long list of jobs he'd done for the man. Yours was... shall we say more interesting."

* * *

The room was ominous. The walls were made of cold stone. All the furniture was old, hard and wooden. And the only illumination- apart from what seeped in through the open door way - was that of several sets of flickering candles, which cast dancing, ever changing shadows upon the walls, floor and ceiling. Such was the cell where the once Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing- now only Integra -had spent the last three months of her young life.

And the imprisoned, one time knight's appearance fit the room's setting rather well. Her clothes were worn, faded. Her long hair was unkempt. Her finger nails were long and slightly uneven. And if any of the room's other occupants had been brave... or crazy enough to smell her, they would've detected a faint odor of mildew and old sweat.

However, when one bothered to look past the mere surface appearance they could see a certain... almost regal quality to the woman, one which even her current state couldn't drive from her. She sat up straight, carefully scrutinized those who entered the room and made sure to lock eyes with both of them- her icy, blue orbs carrying the air of authority and making it plain to each of them that, no matter what station they held in the outside world, they were now barely tolerated 'guests' in _her_ kingdom.

It was this look which caused Sir Reginal to internally fume. And it was this same look that filled the blue suited man, standing next to the Round Table member, with confidence that his time was not being wasted, that this incarcerated woman was still every bit as capable as he'd been led to believe.

"Well, Integra," Sir Reginal began with false joviality, "it would appear this is your lucky day. The Queen has granted you a full pardon."

"Oh, has she now?" Integra replied, her tone sounding indifferent. "And to what, pray tell, do I owe this magnanimous gesture? Why now, after three months of petitions for an audience, has Her Majesty granted me this 'favor'..." The woman's previously calm voice rose in anger as she continued, "without so much as a single meeting beforehand?!" Then Integra's flash of rage seemed to fade beneath a calm coolness. "What has changed- what is it that you _need me_ for?" she finished in a coy tone.

"Regardless of what you may think, the Round Table has gotten along quite well since your departure. We do not _need_ you for anything... however, should you wish to repay Her Majesty's generosity, you could _assist_ us in-"

"The Queen requests your aid in apprehending a vampire, Ma Lady," the man in the blue suit interjected, silencing Sir Reginal.

"A vampire?" Integra asked as her gaze shifted from the Round Table knight to the rather plain, by comparison, looking man standing beside him. The knight had not objected to the blue suited man's interruption, at least not verbally, and that told Integra that the real authority in the room rested with this second man.

"A vampire with which it seems you have some history."

At this, Integra's lip curled into a sly smile. "Oh, they finally fished Alucard out of the Thames, have they? I was wondering how long that would take. So, let me guess... you already tried to apprehend- or perhaps even silence -him on your own; and things didn't go so well, did they?"

"No," the blue suited man replied, "no, they did not. In fact only one member of the unit that went after him survived to tell the tale. It seems that this... Alucard is extremely resistant to conventional vampire hunting methods."

Integra let out a half laugh, half snort. "Of course he is. My family made sure of that," she replied, a slightly prideful edge to her tone.

"Can you destroy him or not?!" Sir Reginal demanded, apparently upset over being left out of the conversation.

And this time Integra actually chuckled for a moment. "Destroy him? Oh, Reginal, dear, sweet, blunt... foolish Reginal, you haven't changed a bit. Your answer to everything is still centered around the simple, most barbaric approach."

Her taunting complete, for the moment at least, Integra continued in a more serious tone. "It could be possible to destroy him... were the seals still intact. However, based on my grandfather's projections, those were most likely washed away- along with my servant's memories and higher powers -by the Thames; and they will not become fully active again for quite some time. Besides, even were they active, I would not use them... not for that at least."

"Your 'pet' vampire has slipped his leash and is terrorizing London, and you would refuse to stop him... even were you able to do so?!" Sir Reginal exclaimed, sounding shocked and positively enraged.

"Calm yourself, Sir Reginal," the blue suited man said as he held up one of his hands in an unspoken command for the knight to be silent. "The lady did not say she wouldn't stop him... she said that she wouldn't destroy him."

"True, old 'friend'," Integra responded. "IF you had been paying attention you would've noticed that I implied he could be stopped another way. Now, would you really destroy, what you can instead possess? Of course _you_ could never possess him. But _I_... I am the monster's master. He simply needs to be reminded of that fact."

"So then, you will help us?" The blue suited man asked.

"'Help'? No. But... I could be persuaded to solve the problem for Her Majesty... were I given enough of an incentive."

"You're already being pardoned; what more do you want?" Sir Reginal grumbled.

"I do not want a pardon. I will accept no less than a full retraction of all charges levied against me. I have done no wrong, and I will not tolerate an official record that claims otherwise. Also, I want a bath- properly drawn of course. I've been cooped up in this room for far too long, and I need to cleanse myself of it. And my current clothes, burn them. I require a new suit- Armani or Gucci would be acceptable. Oh, and a box of hand rolled cigars- Cuban."

Sir Reginal ground his teeth. Integra had always been demanding and difficult, and it seemed that incarceration hadn't taught her an ounce of humility. "Oh, is that all?" he asked sarcastically.

And once again, Integra enjoyed a short chuckle at the knight's expense. "Don't be silly, Reginal. That's just for starters. I will, of course, also require full restoration of my lands, titles and holdings as well as full control over the Hellsing organization and all its assets."

Now Sir Reginal looked as if he was about to burst. However, as soon as he opened his mouth, the blue suited man beside him shut it by stepping between him and Integra.

The man in the blue suit nodded his head. "Your proposal is acceptable," he began and Integra smiled- looking very much like the cat who ate the canary. "However," the man then continued in a slightly accentuated tone that brought extra attention to the words which followed. "This... deal is predicated on your ability to handle Alucard. Should you prove unable to-"

"Don't worry. I'll bring him in. Just get me what I've... 'asked' for, and I'll take care of the situation."

The blue suited man didn't appear all that happy about being interrupted himself, however he also neglected to comment on the issue. "Very well, Sir Integra."

* * *

Well, what did you think? Please review and let me know if you liked it, thanks.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

To Lara: Thanks for the reviews (both this one and the one to Separation Anxiety). I'm glad you've been enjoying my stories- that you like the writing style I use and think I include the right amount of description and pot twists. :D I'm afraid that I'll be quite some time before I update Separation Anxiety again though. I tried last week and a couple of weeks before too, but I've discovered that I'm only able to find inspiration for one long range AxS fic at a time. Sorry, but I'm afraid there won't be any updates to Separation Anxiety until The Butterfly Effect is finished. BUT, I will be continuing to update this fic bi-weekly. And I'm very pleased that you've enjoyed it so far. :) I hope it continues to live up to your expectations. ;)


	6. Robberies, Motels and Donuts

**Robberies, Motels and Donuts.**

**AN: ** Alright I hope you all enjoy this chapter. With my upcoming trip, it'll likely be while before I can update this fic again. Sorry, but sometimes real life DOES get in the way of fan fictions. :P

* * *

Seras was surprised when she saw where Vlad was leading her. Somehow an illegal gambling joint conjured up images of a dark alleyway littered with garbage, a faceless man standing behind an old door with a slit cut for an eye opening, and a weekly password as the 'key' to unlock that old door. But instead Seras found herself following her one-time guest through the lobby of a fairly upscale hotel.

The place, though not quite at the five star level, was perhaps a low four... or certainly a high three. The lobby had a raised ceiling, complete with an almost gaudy looking chandelier. The carpeting beneath the girl's feet was plush, soft and did an excellent job of muffling the footsteps of the various other people moving through the lobby. And, rather than hard benches or cheep synthetic leather, the area was furnished with respectable, possibly antique chairs and tables.

In fact the only thing that really took away from the atmosphere was the couch sitting in the corner. It didn't match the decor of the rest of the furniture, and Seras guessed that the original couch had been ruined at some point and this one was selected as a replacement.

Still, the young police officer was rather impressed with the look of the place and, as she followed Vlad past a long windowed wall overlooking a spacious in ground pool – complete with a long water-slide that young children were happily making use of –, she wondered if the vampire was mistaken about this establishment doubling as an illegal gambling joint. Somehow, crime just seemed so... out of place amongst the smiling children, well mannered adults and bustling, uniformed employees.

"Are you sure about this?" Seras asked.

"You doubt my word, Police Girl? Have I ever lied to you before?" Vlad responded as the two entered a kitchen area and the vampire – almost faster than the girl's eyes could track – claimed an unused, long, butcher's knife and slipped it into the back of his jeans, the handle hidden beneath the tattered remains of his 'bite me' shirt.

Seras wondered if that shirt was the reason no one had attempted to bar them from entering the kitchen area or insist that they leave. The whole front was practically shredded and the loose tatters that remained anchored to the neckline were caked in drying blood. Surely the sight of a seven foot tall, red eyed, powerfully built man wearing such a shirt would provoke a level of fear in most people.

Then Seras remembered that she was still wearing her police uniform and thought that that too may have contributed to them being left alone. Realizing that they were about to commit a crime, if indeed Vlad really did know where he was leading them, the girl unzipped her top – exposing a plain, white t-shirt – rolled it up and shoved it under her arm. She may have been a technical fugitive, about to partake in an armed robbery, but she still had too much respect for the badge – and what it represented – to display it while committing a crime.

With her shield concealed, the girl replied. "No, it-it's not that. It's just... What if you're wrong?"

Vlad didn't reply verbally. Instead he just gave a strange looking grin as the pair reached a door at the back of the kitchen area. Then, just as Seras's face began to twist into a confused expression, the vampire quickly raised his foot and kicked the door... hard.

With a loud cracking sound, the wooden door splintered and went flying in-ward, much to the surprise of the two, white vested guards standing on the other side. They both jumped, and before they recovered enough to raise the sub-machine guns in their hands, Vlad had grabbed them both around the necks. Effortlessly, the vampire lifted the two men from the floor and then turned and sent them flying into the left wall.

Seras didn't know whether the force of the impact killed the two or simply knocked them out, but three things were now very clear:

1. Those men wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

2. There was definitely something illegal going on in this back room. And...

3. She was now committed to this robbery.

The girl pulled out her revolver and leveled it in the general direction of the rest of the crowd. She gulped and then shouted, "Alright... everyone get down on the ground."

Seras's voice was shaky, uneven; but her gun hand was remarkably straight; and none of the men or women, wearing tuxedos and evening dresses, had the gumption to refuse her order. They were, after all, white-collar gamblers and fairly well off people.

This back room was not adorned with televisions monitoring horse races and betting booths. No, this back room held slot machines, a blackjack table and a roulette wheel. The patrons here were not those who'd grown up in underprivileged neighborhoods and were use to excessive displays of violence and life threatening situations. No, these were the wealthy, the privileged and those few middle class people who'd clawed their way far enough up the ladder to be invited to such a place.

However, though the patrons were only too happy to listen to the girl holding the fire arm, the employees were more hesitant. They stubbornly remained standing; until, that is, Vlad quickly removed the knife from his jeans and flung it at one of the obstinate, red vested dealers. In the blink of an eye the sharp instrument was embedded in the table behind the employee, its handle sticking out from between his legs.

"I'd listen to the lady, if I were you," Vlad growled from somewhere in the back of his throat; and the employee gulped as he realized how close the knife had come to... permanently ending his bloodline. The red-vested man immediately dropped to his knees and kissed the green carpet, and the rest of the back room's employees were quick to follow his example.

"Good. Now, stay down," Vlad ordered and then turned to Seras. "Keep an eye on them, will you? I'll be right back." So saying, he walked over to a nearby counter and, leaping over it, briefly disappeared behind the other side.

Then there was a metallic grinding sound, and the door to a small safe flew up above the counter. Suddenly, Vlad's head popped back up. He looked pleased. "Police Girl, come here."

Slowly Seras moved over to the counter, carefully keeping an eye on the other people in the room. "Yes?" she asked uncertainly.

However, before any answer came, the girl felt the vampire's hands on her side. Her heart fluttered and skipped a beat. But then it calmed as she heard Vlad grumble something about how he should've thought to bring a bag and felt her pockets being filled with cold, hard cash. The girl then realized that the vampire was not 'feeling her up' but rather simply ensuring that they got out of there with as much money as possible.

Still, it felt odd and somewhat... enticing. There she stood, a gun trained on a room full of people – holding each of their lives in her hand – while the hands of her 'partner in crime' – her tall, dark and handsome partner in crime – moved over her body, filling her up with their ill gotten gain.

And Vlad seemed to know how she was feeling too; for, once he was finished stuffing her pockets, the vampire stood and smirked at the girl as he gently pulled the rolled up shirt out from under her arm. Then Vlad unrolled the shirt, tied the ends of the sleeves and collar up, zipped it, flipped it upside down and filled it with stacks of hundred pound notes. Finally, he turned to the rest of the room; and, bending into a mocking bow, thanked everyone for their 'generous patronage'.

* * *

The motel room that Seras and Vlad got for the rest of the night was a far cry from the hotel they'd recently left. It wasn't that they didn't have the money for a better room. When they were a safe distance away and able to count their newly acquired wealth, they discovered that they had gotten away with over thirty-five thousand pounds.

No, they had plenty of money, but motels were marginally safer. Hotels had registries, attendants and plenty of other people to get into one's business. But a young guy and girl checking into a motel in the middle of the night? Well, that was the kind of thing where even the owner minded his own business and operated with a 'Sargent Schultz' mentality.

The motel room actually wasn't that bad considering the price. Sure, the telly was small, thirteen to fifteen inches, and there was only one bed; but the place was clean enough – or at least it _looked_ clean enough. And there was a small table and a couple of chairs in the corner.

However, Seras seemed to have little interest in the table and chairs. The poor girl had worked a full shift _before_ returning to her apartment and getting caught up in... whatever she was caught up in. And the adrenalin that had been coursing through her since the raid on her apartment had already started to ebb, causing her body to feel the after effects of a prolonged adrenalin spike. In short, she was exhausted. And, upon seeing the welcoming bed, Seras went straight to it and let her body fall into it, drawing a squeaking sound from the old springs beneath.

For a moment the girl just laid their, spread-eagle on the bed. Then, her voice somewhat muffled by the fact that her head was still pressed into the mattress, she asked, "Okay, we got the money and the room for the night... what's next?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things," Vlad replied, his eyes hungrily devouring the sight before him. Seras, of course, didn't notice this since her own eyes were screwed shut and her face was still pressed into the mattress. However, when the vampire added a lewd chuckle to the end of his reply, the meaning became clear.

Too tired to do anything else, Seras reached up, grabbed one of the pillows from the top of the bed and flung it in the general direction of Vlad's voice. "Bloody pervert," she mumbled in response.

Of course, since Seras hadn't bothered to really aim her throw, just hurling the pillow in Vlad's general direction, it missed him by a good two feet. And her 'pervert' accusation served only to elicit another chuckle, this time more amused than lewd. After his chuckling ceased, Vlad replied more sincerely, "Now, Police Girl? Now, you get some rest. You look... 'dead' tired. And while you're out dreaming of green meadows, white picket fences and hopping sheep, I'll go purchase us some supplies."

"No, that's okay," Seras began to reply. "I'll," she continued but was interrupted by a long yawn. "I'll come with you. Just... just give me a few minutes to... catch my second wind."

Vlad smiled. She was a determined, spirited, young girl, wasn't she? And the vampire had already decided that he liked that about her. Still, she, unlike him, was not nocturnal. She needed to get some sleep, and they both needed certain items, not the least of which were new sets of clothes – after all, they couldn't really blend with what they currently had. And she would be safe in the room... for awhile at least.

"No, you're tired, very, very tired," Vlad cooed in a deep, soothing voice as he drew up beside the bed.

"No, I-I'm," Seras began but was interrupted by another yawn.

"Relax, everything will be fine... you're safe here," Vlad continued.

"Everything will be fine; I'm safe here," Seras repeated.

"That's it, Police Girl. Now, just go to sleep," Vlad finished; and this time, rather than Seras repeating his words, the only response the vampire got was that of a slight snoring sound. He grinned down at the girl and then bent over to plant a light kiss on the back of her head. Rising back up, the vampire whispered, "Sleep well... Seras."

Then he walked over to the door, slowly opened it up and left the motel room.

* * *

The sun had been up for several hours when a pleasant and familiar aroma began to stir Seras from her slumber. Slowly the girl began to come to as she felt a slight pressure sliding along her jaw line. The still only semi-conscious girl attempted to bat whatever was touching her away. However, her hand failed to connect with anything.

A second later the pressure returned, and this time it was accompanied by a whispering voice in her ear. "Time to wake up, Police Girl." Seras's eyes fluttered open; and when they focused in, she nearly jumped. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, and a red eyed man had his index finger locked under her chin.

Fortunately, the girl's awakening mind soon remembered what was going on; and, rather than jumping, she began to sit up. "It's... it's morning?"

"You fell asleep," Vlad replied simply.

"Oh," Seras responded and then noticed that the vampire had a new shirt. It was another T-Shirt, basic black, but with only a small pocket adorning the front, no whimsical emblazoning. "Guess you went out last night, huh?"

Vlad shrugged and then walked over to the room's table to retrieve a small bag and Styrofoam cup. He brought the items back with him and handed them to the girl who was still sitting in bed. "It's not Coco Pebbles, but I think you'll like it just the same."

Seras reached for the two items, feeling somehow pleased by the fact that Vlad had remembered what she was eating the previous morning. Taking the cup, the girl noticed a Krispy Kreme label and smiled at the thought of eating one of their signature donuts. She opened up the bag to find a Chocolate Cruller waiting for her, and her grin widened.

Vlad, apparently noting her approval, added, "The drink's chocolate too... At least I think it is – something called a Mocha Express?"

"Espresso," Seras corrected as she got off the bed and walked over to the table.

"Whatever," Vlad replied as he watched the girl take the top off her drink, tear the cruller in half and start dunking.

"Thank you... this was very sweet," Seras responded before taking her first bite.

Vlad let out a strange sounding huff. "I may not remember my past... but I'm fairly certain vampires aren't 'sweet'."

"Oh really? And what about Count Chocula?" Seras retorted.

"Who?" Vlad asked with an arched eyebrow.

"He's a cereal mascot... and very sweet and chocolaty," the girl informed.

"Yeah... I don't think he counts," the vampire replied.

"Sure he does; it's right in his name... _Count_ Chocula."

"Oh, funny girl."

Seras stuck her tongue out at the vampire and then went back to eating her breakfast, and Vlad stretched out his arms and failed to stifle a yawn.

"Guess it's your turn with the bed," Seras commented.

"Not necessarily... We could share it," Vlad replied, and his lip curled into a suggestive, almost wolfish grin.

Seras let out a light laugh. "Don't you ever give up?"

"Ever heard of the old sang 'persistence pays off'?"

The girl met the vampire's grin. She wasn't use to bantering; but now that she was starting to feel more comfortable with him, she was beginning to find that she rather enjoyed it. "Not today, it doesn't."

"Oh? Then you agree that I should keep it up, 'ey, Police Girl?" Seras didn't reply, and Vlad took that to mean that their little game was over... for the moment at least. He laid back and moved up the bed, resting his head on the remaining pillow. "Do, me a favor, would you? Close the shades when you get up to take your morning shower. It's _far_ too bright in here."

"Shower?"

Vlad let out another yawn before replying, "Yeah, I bought you some new clothes while I was out. They're in the bag by the foot of the bed."

"Oh."

Seras finished her espresso, retrieved the bag and took care of the shades. Then she went into the motel room's small bathroom and showered. As she dried off, the girl looked in the bag of clothes the vampire had purchased for her, although referring to some of the items as clothes was being generous.

The bottom was an almost ridiculously short pair of jean shorts. The underwear looked like something from a lingerie store. And the T-shirt, although rather nice in color, had the words "We both know why you're _really_ staring here." emblazoned across the front. Clearly the vampire was getting even with her for the 'bite me' shirt.

Seras sighed. But began to dress anyway. She used the 'Victoria Secret' underwear; after all, it wasn't like anyone was actually going to see that. It would be covered by the rest of her clothes. And she, begrudgingly slipped into the 'short shorts' as well, reasoning that her police uniform pants could create a problem when trying to blend in. She wasn't quite sure that the shorts were any better... but then, the attention _they_ attracted would likely be focused away from her face, which was what anyone coming after the two of them might be carrying a picture of. She did not, however, wear the T-shirt, instead changing back into her own, discarded, plain and inconspicuous, white T-shirt.

Reentering the main room, Seras turned on the motel 'idiot box' and decided to check up on the morning news. She was rather surprised to find out that not one word was said about her and Vlad's recent adventures. Someone must've been covering it up, but who?

* * *

What did you think? Please review and let me know if you liked it, thanks. Well, see you guys and gals again in November! ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

To policegirl (1): Thanks for the review. I'm glad that you "love" this fic so far and "cant stop reading" it. :) I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and will continue to enjoy this. ;)

To Lara: Thanks for you last review here – as well as your fairly recent review of Run Girl, Run. :) I'm glad that you've been enjoying my AxS fics and hope you continue to. ;) Hopefully this new chapter was worth all that "anticipation and excitement." ;)

To policegirl (2): Thanks for the reviews. :) I'm glad that you've been enjoying this fic and think I've kept the tension between Alucard and Seras "marvelously thick". :) Hopefully, you enjoyed their dynamic in this new chapter just as much as in the previous ones. ;)


	7. The Beginning of Understanding

**The Beginning of Understanding**

**AN: ** Hey, guys and gals, sorry about the long wait. I should be getting back on a more regular updating schedule now though. Well, not really much else to say, other than, hope you enjoy. ;)

* * *

Icy-blue orbs carefully scrutinized the strawberry-blonde. They watched her closely, for the girl was an abnormality. It was not at all out of character for Integra's... 'pet' to find himself a pretty, young 'partner in crime', but what was unusual was that this girl's eyes were still a brilliant shade of blue. They lacked any trace of vampiric corruption.

"Excuse me, Sir, but your tea is ready," a sophisticated voice called from behind Integra's back.

The lady knight turned from her monitor, and her lip pulled into a half smile at the sight of the aged butler with the steaming cup of tea. "Thank you, Walter... You may leave it on my desk."

Walter did as instructed and then bowed. "Not a problem, Sir... Will there be anything else?"

Integra turned back to the screen which displayed footage from her pet's 'casino caper'. "As a matter of fact... Yes, how much do we know about her?" the lady knight asked as she indicated a still shot of Seras.

"We have her police record as well as a complete medical history, credit history, school history... even records from her time in the orphanage."

"Good," Integra stated definitively. "Bring me all of them." Turning back to her butler, the lady knight noticed the surprised look on his face. "What?"

"It's... not really my place to say."

"Oh don't start that," Integra replied as her eyes narrowed. She hated it when Walter let his station get in the way of speaking his mind. After over a half century serving her family, the Hellsing organization, the Crown and herself personally, he'd certainly earned the right to have his opinions heard. Of course, ultimately, she'd do whatever she thought best, regardless of his advice. However, that did not mean that his opinion shouldn't be heard... and even considered.

"Very well, Sir. It's just... shouldn't our attention be focused on Alucard?"

Integra's lip curled into a bit of a sly grin. "My attention is focused on him, but this girl... she may prove the key to bringing him back."

Walter's brow knit in obvious confusion. "I... doubt Alucard would allow himself to care enough about any woman – other than his master, of course – to leave him vulnerable."

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree. But these circumstances are hardly normal. He's forgotten much of his past, and is likely only now starting to remember. In a way he's not the same monster we know. And this girl," Integra paused, looked back at the monitor and her voice grew a little distant – as if she were now talking more to herself than the old, English butler. "He hasn't turned her, and that is... odd. My servant likes clearly defined roles, master/fledgling, master/pet. He enjoys a hierarchy of dominance and authority. But this girl is obviously no master of his. So, the fact that he has not turned her into a servant, that he's instead maintaining a... 'partnership of equals', as it were, is very odd. He must feel something... something other than pure lust towards her, and that means that we might be able to use her to get to him."

"Ah, bait for a trap?" Walter commented.

"Perhaps," Integra answered, "or perhaps we might be able to use her to reason with him." She paused for a moment and seemed to be considering something. "Either way, I'll need to know more about her."

"I see, Sir." Walter bowed once more. "I shall collect the files, and have them on your desk before you are finished with your tea." With that, he left.

And Integra permitted herself one more smile. She was back in her home, back in control of the Hellsing Organization and once again sipping tea perfectly prepared by her loyal butler. Once she reclaimed her trump card, everything would be back to normal, back to the way it was suppose to be.

* * *

As Seras walked along the cobbled path, she felt a small pang of guilt for not telling Vlad that she was going out. However she quickly squashed such sentiments. After all, he'd gone out while she was sleeping and hadn't bothered to inform _her_. Besides he was obviously tired, and she'd be back before he woke up... So why should she have disturbed him?

The girl reached her destination and pulled the old, wooden door open. The familiar scent of dust and old parchment greeted her and a large, fat, gray cat meowed at her from its perch on the top of a nearby stack of shelves.

The meow surprised Seras. This place was new to her, and she'd not expected it to be home to a cat. _Her_ local library was certainly free of feline residents. But then this was not her library; and, although it shared the same oder, she supposed some things were bound to be different. The girl smiled happily at the cat, who was lazily resting above tales of adventure and enlightenment, as she continued inside the vault of knowledge.

In movies a cop's gun was often portrayed as his/her best friend and most prized possession, but in reality this was not so. No, real police officers' most useful tools were their computers... and their library cards*. The near endless resources that both of those brought were indispensable while doing the research necessary for any true investigation.

Unfortunately, Seras was now a fugitive and quite cut off from both of those resources. However, that did not mean that she couldn't find alternatives. This library was not her own, but she figured it would have many of the same books.

And it would also house Internet terminals she could use. Of course use of these gateway's to the World Wide Web would have to come last. It was very likely she would trip some hidden security measures while surfing, so she would have to be careful to limit her time online and leave the library immediately once she was through with the PC.

Seras's first stop was the librarian's counter where she smiled, flirted and played the part of the helpless, clueless blonde to secure the crusty librarian's help and put him at ease. Next she innocently asked if they had any books that mentioned the name Hellsing, the one word she knew from her guest's past.

The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow, "As in Dracula's Van Helsing... or the Aristocracy's line of Hellsings?"

"I don't know," Seras replied with a slight shrug, "both, I guess."

The librarian eyed the girl strangely, obviously thinking it odd that she wouldn't know whether she was looking for information on a fictional character... or a very real, noble family. However, another helpless grin from the pretty, young girl drove such... curiosities from his mind. "Please... follow me."

Seras did just that and soon she had a whole stack of books on both subjects. Fining a deserted table in the back of the library, Seras laid all the information out and began to comb through it. It was very... interesting, to say the least.

Abraham Van Helsing was apparently a nineteenth century 'Renaissance-man'. He was highly educated and possessed numerous skills in a variety of fields. And he, with the assistance of a few others, had, as the novel claimed, been the one to defeat the dreaded Dracula, King of Vampires, ruler of the undead.

The Hellsing family of nobility supposedly dated back nearly a millennium, but Seras wasn't sure if this was true. Recorded information on the family got sketchier and sketchier the further back she attempted to trace the bloodline. But there was quite a bit of verifiable information on the last century of their history.

Seras skimmed through most of it. She had little interest in Captain Arthur Hellsing's exploits during the first world war, although one picture did briefly catch her eye. It showed the young captain triumphantly planting a flag on the crest of a small hill. Yet, the glorified image of Arthur Hellsing was not what caught the young girl's attention -- rather it was the teenage girl hovering in the background. There was something familiar about the small girl, though Seras couldn't quite place it. And after a moment, she gave up trying. Shrugging her shoulders, the 'Police Girl' moved on to another book.

From what Seras was able to piece together about the Hellsing nobles they were regarded as a bit recluse, seldom attending parties or associating with the rest of the aristocracy. Yet, they seemed to be pretty close to the royal family. There were more than a few images of past family heads shaking hands with past kings and queens. Clearly they were a powerful family, if not a very outgoing one.

Also they employed a large contingent of private soldiers, soldiers who were 'loaned' out to the English government, as well as a few others, on various occasions. In return for this, it seemed that the family's private army received considerable subsidization from the British government.

Seras spent several hours pouring over the books and records and then sat back and thought about everything she'd read. Slowly a theory began to form in the girl's mind. What if, she wondered, the Abraham Van Helsing and the family of English aristocrats were related? What if that small army of private soldiers the Hellsing family had was actually a group of government black ops agents trained to tangle with vampires and other unnatural threats? What if the Hellsing family was really a front for some secret government devision that dealt with the supernatural?

Three days ago, Seras would've scoffed at such a thought. But then that was before she met 'Vlad'. Now... well the theory, though fantastic and difficult to take seriously, did seem to fit the facts she'd been able to gather.

"Hmmmm," Seras hummed as she considered the idea. It was possible.

Glancing around in detached thought, Seras's eyes briefly rested on the library clock, and she realized that the afternoon was beginning to run down. Vlad would be waking up before too much longer, and Seras figured she should be there when it happened. After all, though he'd left her without saying anything, he was there when she'd woken up.

Gathering up her books, Seras returned them to the counter and thanked the librarian for all his help. Then she headed over to the row of computers in the far corner. She chose one at the far end, away from the two other people availing themselves of the devices, and Googled "Hellsing".

Seras's previous theory was somewhat challenged by the information she found online. It seemed that just over three months ago, the then current head of the Hellsing family had turned her soldiers against the Crown. Apparently this Integra had betrayed her country in some fool hardy bid to claim power for herself. And this worried Seras.

If Vlad had been a servant of the Hellsing family and they were a division of the English government that took care of supernatural threats, then Seras figured that would've made her guest a hero... of sorts – an anti-hero at the very least. But if he'd been part of a plan to overthrow the Queen, then he was a traitor. And Seras found herself... unsettled by such a thought.

Yet the man hadn't struck her as the traitorous sort. She had a cop's intuition and was usually a pretty good judge of character. Vlad seemed, conflicted, aggressive... dangerous even; but something about him made her think he was a loyal individual.

Perhaps he was? Perhaps when the rest of the Hellsing soldiers attacked the Queen's men he stood against them and that was how he'd ended up in the river? Could that be what had happened?

Seras sighed and decided that she simply didn't have enough pieces of the puzzle yet; and, regrettably, she lacked the time necessary to gather more. She'd already spared as much time as she felt comfortable with and was worried that her online inquiries might soon lead the shadowy Hellsing troops to her once more.

Seras decided it was time to leave. But first... first she had one last thing she wanted to do. Logging on to her G-mail account, Seras briefly skimmed her emails. It was an indulgence and a somewhat foolish one at that, but she'd been sucked out of her normal life and thrown into a new and frightening world that she never knew existed. She only wanted a couple moments to remind herself that the normal world was still out there... somewhere.

So Seras checked her Email; and as she did, she got quite a shock. The title of one message read, "From Lenny V."

As Seras gazed at the title she felt as if she'd just gotten punched in the gut and all the air had been knocked out of her. Leon was her father's name. But no one called him Lenny, no one except for her mother... and, Seras suddenly remembered, his old partner.

The message was from her captain. It had to be. No one else would've used that title. Seras opened up the message and read it.

It was short, very short. "Everything's not as it seems. Discovered somethings you need to know. Meet me at five. Our old haunt."

Borrowing a line from Alice in Wonderland, Seras could only comment, "Curiouser and curiouser," as she closed the message and logged out of her account.

* * *

"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers, and the flowers fall. But the Word of the Lord stands forever," the man said as Vlad felt something sharp being driven into his chest. He looked up at the man, a tall, powerfully built man who's eyes possessed the, somehow familiar, fire of zealotry.

The vampire's eyes closed as he vomited blood. Then, slowly, Vlad reopened his eyes. He felt a strong, almost overpowering sense of loss and a longing for someone who's identity he couldn't even remember, just fragments of her face, her cheeks, lips, nose and eyes. The eyes he remembered best of all, blue jewels with a piercing quality that seemed to stare into his very soul.

"I have… lost," Vlad rasped as a single crimson tear rolled down his cheek. He was still unaware of what was going on, but the sense of loss was undeniable within him. The question still remained though, what, exactly, had he lost? Surprisingly it was the man towering over him who answered this unspoken question.

"Indeed. You have lost. This… is not a nightmare from which you will awake. Your castle and lands are in ruins. All your servants and slaves are dead."

Was that all? Land and title, castle, servants and slaves? True it would be a lot to lose... yet, none of those things explained the only partially complete girl's face which haunted his mind.

"Her life has faded away, as well," the man continued, as if again reading the vampire's thoughts. "She will never be yours. Count, you have nothing left. Pitiful No-Life king. You have nothing. Nothing!"*

Vlad struggled to speak once more, but he could not. The stabbing pain in his chest kept him from drawing in the breath needed to do so. Perhaps, if he were given more time, he could've replied. But, alas, his time seemed to have come to an end.

The man pulled a large knife from his belt, squatted down by Vlad's head and then, with all the strength held within his broad chest, the man drove the knife into the vampire's neck with a quick, painful chop.

With a scream, Vlad awoke. The scarred battlefield gave way to walls decorated in old, faded, torn flower and vine wallpaper; the hard earth beneath him to a soft mattress. And as the vampire looked around he realized that he was back in the cheap motel. A dream, it had all been a dream.

Vlad was relieved to say the least, but this relief did not last long. As soon as he began to relax, the vampire became aware of hushed whispers. He quickly jerked his head around the room, trying to catch sight of the whispering people he heard. But no one else seemed to be there. He was quite alone, and yet the whispers persisted, though they were too faint and overlapping for him to make out what any of them were saying. Quickly rising from the bed, Vlad rushed over to the window and threw it open, hoping that the evening air might drive away the ghosts and return his sanity to him.

The world outside was remarkably still, though it was not very late. The sun had not completely set yet, rather it hovered just beyond the horizon, its lingering light casting a reddish glow upon the clouds. The very sky itself seemed tinged with blood, yet the vampire received no comfort or piece of mind from any of it.

Still, the whispers persisted. They were as confusing, unsettling and indistinguishable as ever. That was, until one voice finally, briefly managed to make itself heard above the others. "Seras?" it called, and then the vampire remembered his traveling companion.

It was strange that she was not there. Where was she? Doing his best to push the question of his own sanity aside for the moment, Vlad searched the room for any clue to the Police Girl's location. But he found nothing. There was no evidence of a struggle or hurried flight. She was simply gone and had left no note explaining where she'd went or why.

Vlad was left all alone, with only the disembodied, whispering voices to keep him company. He ran to the bathroom, to the sink and turned it on. Cupping his hand, Vlad collected the cascading water and splashed it over his face, a final, futile gesture to wake himself from his current nightmare. It did no good.

And as the vampire raised his head he noticed something strange about the mirror over the sink. The reflection staring back at him was unfamiliar, a stranger's face. And as he stood there, too shocked to move or even look away, the image began to shift and change. The faces of various people, men, women... children flashed in the cold glass, and with each one a single whispering voice was able to make itself heard over the chorus of others.

"What are you still doing here?"

"Aren't you going to go after her?"

"She could be hurt?"

"Humph, far more likely she simply left you."

"What did you expect?"

"A girl like her to stay with someone like you?"

"You monster, you horrible, wretched thing."

"She ran the first chance she had."

"If that's the case, then good riddance."

"Who would want someone so... flighty?"

"You could _make_ her yours."

"Why would she run? She-"

"What? Love? Impossible?"

"But what if it's true?"

"What if she left for another reason, and now can't return?"

"What if they got her?"

"I'm scared."

"Find her."

"She could be in trouble, in danger."

"She could be hurt."

"Find her."

"Find her."

"FIND HER!"

"**FIND HER!!!**"

With a loud growl, Vlad drove his fist into the mirror, shattering it. He pulled his arm back and found his hand littered with glass and dripping blood. And that wasn't all, the top was glowing a faint, mysterious red.

He stopped and stared at his hand for a moment, drops of blood pooling and running down his arm. And as Vlad stood there, staring at this latest unexplained phenomenon, he became aware that the whispering had finally subsided.

Then the glow faded from his hand. He picked out the glass stubble and watched the flesh as it almost instantly knitted itself. What was happening to him?

With a grunt the vampire pushed such questions aside. He left the bathroom, grabbed his motel key from off the table in the main room, shoved a couple of money stacks into his pocket and headed out into the night. The Police Girl was out there... somewhere, and he intended to find out what had happened to her.

If she had truly just left him... well, he'd let her be and leave before she could even catch sight of him. But if she was hurt, captured, tortured... he had to find her. He had to know.

* * *

What did you think? Once again, sorry about the long wait. But I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought of it, thanks.

*Line adapted from an episode of Law&Order: Criminal Intent.

*Scene taken from Alucard's dream in the OVA, one of the few scenes from that incarnation that I didn't mind.

To Lara: Thanks for the review (as well as your review to "Appearances can be Deceiving"). I'm glad you're still enjoying this and the twists and turns have kept you on the edge of your seat. :) Sorry there weren't any real Alucard and Seras moments her, but this was needed to set up the next leg of the story. Hope you still enjoyed, and rest assured, they'll be some interaction between Alucard and Seras next chapter. ;)

To Police Girl: Thanks for your last review (as well as the one you wrote for my last one-shot). :) I'm glad you think the wait for the previous chapters has been worth it, and I hope this one lived up to your expectations too. ;) I'm guessing that after that last part your going to think Alucard's mind is even creepier. :P LoL But, hopefully you'll still find it just as cool. ;)

To A Kiss of Moon Light: Thanks for the review... and for faving. I'm glad you've enjoyed the first six chapters so much. :) And now that I've FINALLY gotten the seventh one out, I hope it lives up to the others. ;)

To all my readers and reviewers: Thanks for the continued support. :) Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.


	8. Meeting The Master

**Meeting The Master**

**AN: **I apologize if this chapter has a few more mistakes than normal. I'm with my family for thanksgiving weekend and don't have access to all my usual grammar/spellchecking software.

* * *

After leaving the library, Seras headed to the abandoned building which was once Mc Tavish's Pub. It had been a popular 'cop bar' a couple decades back. And although a fire had hallowed out the place a few years before Seras was born, she'd heard her father reminisce about it often enough that she guessed it must've been the 'old haunt' mentioned in her mysterious email.

Seras reached the old pub; and, as she entered it, her nose was immediately tickled by particles of recently disturbed ash. It crinkled up slightly, and then the girl sneezed. Reopening her eyes, Seras found that, though the fire had taken place over twenty years ago, it looked far more recent.

The building was in what had become a very bad neighborhood and had been left vacant since the fire, preserving the destruction caused by the insatiable flames. Ash, mixed with dust, coated the floor and what little remained of the furniture with a whitish gray film. The wooden bar was charred and blackened in spots, ruining what Seras observed had once been intricate cravings. And the only illumination to penetrate the smoke-glazed, glass windows was a dull yellow glow, which cast the entire scene in a eerie light.

"Seras?" a familiar voice called out, drawing the young woman's attention away from the burnt out building. And as she followed the voice to an alcove behind a scarred wall, Seras discovered her father's old partner already waiting for her.

So happy was Seras at seeing a friendly face that she had to fight the urge to run up and throw her arms around Will, just as she did when she was a little girl. But she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a young woman, a cop... or at least she was last time she'd checked. And this... this old family-friend was still her captain. So, rather than a hug, Seras simple smiled and took the seat across from her father's old partner.

The man sighed, and Seras recognized that he appeared burdened. "Sir, is something wrong?"

Will's left eyebrow shot up in a disbelieving gesture. "Is something wrong? Yes, something's bloody wrong!" And with that he slammed a security camera photo down on the table. "Seras, what were you thinking?! That badge doesn't give you license to break into places – even illegal gambling joints – and rob them at gun point!"

"I-I," Seras stuttered, not expecting her captain to even know about the robbery and utterly unprepared for the lecture she was receiving.

Will sighed again and then seemed to calm down. "But," he continued after a brief moment, "I suppose you're not really to blame. Doubtless that vampire enthralled you... or something."

"V-Va-Vampire?" Seras responded, even more surprised by the fact that her captain knew about Vlad.

"Yes, your partner in crime... as it were." Will produced a folder he'd had tucked inside his jacket and set it down in front of the girl. "Do you have any idea who you're getting in bed with?"

"Now, just hold on a minute!" Seras exclaimed, suddenly finding her voice. "I assure you that he and I haven't been... we haven't... shared a bed." Seas paused, thought for a second and then added, "at least not at the same time... _Not_ that that's any of your business!"

Will's head tilted slight to the right and his face wore an expression somewhat a kin to a confused dog. "I... was speaking metaphorically – as in, who you're working with," he replied slowly.

"Oh," Seras responded and then made a nervous chuckle as her face flushed in embarrassment.

An uncomfortable air hung between the two for a moment, before Seras finally opened up the folder and began to look through it.

It seemed to be some form of a dossier on the vampire she knew only as "Vlad". Here he was referred to as "Alucard" and occasionally "The Subject". The papers outlined some of the vampire's powers, gave a brief mission history, kept a running tab of "official" kills and contained a number of rather bizarre looking psyche exams.

Seras knew that she was staring at a government dossier. And, judging by the number of black bars running through sections of the pages, she guessed it was highly classified. This assumption raised an important question; and, looking up from the papers, Seras cautiously asked, "Sir, where did you get this?"

"I gave it to him," a commanding, yet feminine, voice answered from somewhere behind Seras's back.

Quickly whipping her neck around, Seras could hardly believe what she saw. There, standing right behind her was the aristocrat she'd recently been researching, Integra Hellsing. "You?" Seras questioned in a disbelieving tone.

"Captain, this woman is a traitor to the Crown!" she then exclaimed as turned back to her father's old friend, the man who had apparently lured her into this trap, but who she _hoped_ was not beyond reasoning with.

"No... she's not," Will replied. "I remembered the news reports from three months back and thought the same thing when she told me who she was. But then she showed my an official writ of apology – signed by the Queen herself and baring the royal seal. I don't know what happened three months ago; but, whatever it was, I find it doubtful the Queen would issue an apology to a traitor."

"Wait... so, she's not a traitor? Then... then who is she?"

"Do not talk about me as if I were not present," Integra cut in sounding somewhat offended*. Both cops snapped their attention to her, and then she continued, "I am the head of... a classified government agency. And Alucard was... is," she corrected, "one of my... agents. But he had an... accident a little while back and lost his memory. Now, I'm trying to bring him back in peacefully, but if-"

"Liar!" Seras exclaimed, cutting Integra off. "You're not trying to bring him in peacefully; you sent agents to my apartment to kill him!"

Integra's eyes flashed with blue flames. Who did this girl think she was to interrupt her, to call her a liar? Yet, by mustering up her considerable reserve of willpower, Integra was just barely able to rain in her temper. She kept from exploding in a torrent of shouts and instead only growled out a reply, "_I_ did no such thing. Someone else sent those agents to your apartment, and trust me, the man who sent them has been... dealt with."

There was an ominous quality to the aristocrat's last statement, one that sent a shiver down Seras's spine and made her blood run cold. Somehow, even though she didn't know the man, even though he'd been responsible for the destruction wrought on her property, for her need to run in the first place, she still found a small part of herself pitying the guy.

"Now, if you're done slinging baseless accusations at me," Integra continued, "Perhaps you'll listen to my proposition."

Seras didn't trust the woman before her. Three months ago she was a traitor, and now she was the head of a classified government agency, the same agency which had sent stormtroopers into her apartment, yet the woman disavowed any knowledge of that operation? Something just seemed... off. But Seras supposed it couldn't do any harm to hear the other woman out.

Crossing her arms in a subconscious defensive gesture, Seras replied, "Okay, I'm listening."

Integra had to keep from sighing. In her life, she'd dealt with government officials, heads of state and even power hungry arch-bishops, yet none of them seemed as... difficult as this young police officer in front of her.

Were the situation different, Integra reflected, she'd have probably found the cop's stubbornness and distrustfully attitude a little endearing. Far too many woman, in her opinion, were the types to roll over and give in at the sight of an authority figure. At least this girl had some spirit. Probably why her pet, had developed an interest in the girl in the first place, Integra supposed.

"Good. Then listen well; I'm not one to repeat myself. Now, I've got... connections, and I'm willing to erase this last week from your record. It will be as if it never happened: you weren't involved in a shootout at the coroner's office; you didn't wound a government agent; and you never took part in the robbery of that casino; heck, you can even keep any money you got from it. Use it to fix up your apartment... or whatever. And all I want in return is for you to take me to Alucard."

Seras's response was instantaneous. "Forget it. I'm not going to help you capture him."

Integra seemed surprised by the declaration, so surprised in fact that she didn't reply right away. Will, on the other hand, was another story. "Seras?! Think for a minute. Look at what this vampire has done to your life. Before you met him, you were an honest bobby who upheld the law and protected others. … Now, you're running around threatening people with guns, shooting government agents and committing armed robberies! Can't you see what you've become? And now... now you've got a chance to make everything right again. Seras, she's offering you your life back!"

"Offering me my life back? And in return all I need to do is turn Judas?!" Seras spat back.

"He's hardly a Jesus," Will tried to reason with the girl. "You read the file. He's got a higher death count than all the serial killers Scotland Yard has ever caught. He's a murderer, a monster, a..."

"Hey," Seras exclaimed, interrupting her captain, as she felt a vise like grip upon her arm. Turning back towards Integra, Seras found the woman had latched onto her. "Let go!"

"No," Integra growled as she began to jerk Seras along with her. "If you won't help me voluntarily, then I'll just hold onto you until Alucard comes looking for his little thrall."

"Hey," Will interjected as he got up and put himself between Integra and the door, "that wasn't our agreement."

"Indeed," the lady knight replied. "Our agreement was that, in return for talking me to Alucard, your bobby would be released and her record expunged. … But if she's not going to take me to Alucard, then Our agreement is null-in-void. Now," Integra growled once more as her free hand glided to her side and, faster than Will could even see, drew a pistol, "step aside."

"No," the police captain replied, doing his best to keep his voice even as he felt the cold hard steal of the pistol's barrel pressing into his forehead. "I made a promise to a friend, a long time ago. You want her, you're going to have to take me too... or else, murder me in cold blood."

Integra hesitated for a moment but then snorted. "Fine, you want to come too, then turn around and get moving. There's a limo outside. Get in the back... and don't try anything foolish... anything _else_ foolish, or my butler will cut you into so many pieces even the birds won't be able to find them all."

* * *

Vlad followed Seras's scent through the city. At times this proved rather difficult. Her scent crisscrossed other more pungent ones, and the vampire lost the trail more than once. Although he was always able to go back and pick it back up again, these missteps caused delays and it took him several hours to track the Police Girl to the library, and yet more time to find the burnt out bar.

It was there that the scent trail died completely. Wherever Seras had gone after the bar, she'd not walked there, but rather must've have ridden in a sealed vehicular, a car most likely. However, just because Vlad could no longer follow the Police Girl's scent, that did not mean that he was about to abandon the search for her.

The vampire entered the the bar, hoping to find some clue to what Seras had been doing there. And he did find a clue... or rather an invitation. Lying in the center of one of the rooms few remaining tables was a note.

"If you want the girl back, come to Hellsing Manor... and do try to be quick about it. As you may remember, patience was never one of my virtues."

In lieu of a name, the card simply bore a stylized, capitol "I" in the lower left hand corner.

Vlad huffed. It seemed that someone had a rather high opinion of themselves, first in holding his... 'partner' captive and then in demanding that he come quickly. What's more, the person assumed a familiarity with the vampire, one that he could not recall.

Bringing the card up to his nose, Vlad sniffed it a few times. The smell that greeted him was feminine... and virginal – though how he knew this second thing, the vampire had no idea – but laced with tobacco and a slightly musky scent which he couldn't place. Somehow, the combination was familiar. And, to Vlad's surprise, it stirred up feelings of nostalgia, though once again he had no idea why.

"Hellsing Manor, huh? Shouldn't be too hard to find." And with that, Vlad pocketed the card and headed off in search of its mysterious owner.

* * *

The mansion was large, dark, foreboding. Two men in full body armor stood sentry outside the main door. At first Vlad wondered if he'd have to kill them to get in; but, when they saw him, they stepped silently aside.

Vlad entered the mansion, the 'lion's den', alone and unarmed, vulnerable – with only his still weakened powers for protection. However, the manor's halls – the expensive wall paper, old photos, antique chairs and even displayed weapons – did not provoke any fear within the vampire. This place did not feel like an enemy stronghold... it felt like home.

The 'invited guest' continued onward. He didn't know exactly where he was going, yet he felt himself inexplicably pulled down a particular path. And finally he arrived at door which seemed to call to him.

Opening the door and slowly stepping inside, Vlad found a platinum-blonde woman, in a business suite, comfortably sitting behind a large, ancient, mahogany desk. There was a cigar in her mouth and as she caught sight of the vampire, she took a long puff before slowly let the smoke out to mix with the air. "It's about time you showed up."

No sooner had the woman opened her mouth than Vlad became aware of small arms wrapping around him. Looking to his side, the powerful vampire found the Police Girl squeezing him tightly as a bizarre mixture of fear, apprehension and relief passed over her face.

The monster grinned down at the girl beside him. "Getting friendly, are we?"

She blushed and pulled back. "Vlad, that... woman," the girl said as she pointed an accusatory finger at the long haired woman behind the desk, "She wants to capture you... to turn you into some kind of slave." To the surprise of both the vampire and the girl, this statement drew a dry chuckle from the accused.

"A slave?" Integra responded. "My, no, girl. You still don't understand." The lady knight hesitated before continuing, "But you do, don't you, Alucard... 'Vlad'. Or at least, you're beginning to, aren't you? Tell me, have the voices started yet? Do you know what they are?"

The vampire's eye widened slightly at the mention of voices. But he quickly set his face into a determined, stone-like expression. "I'm here; you got what you wanted... Now, let the Police Girl go."

Integra's lip curled slightly. "I don't think you're completely clear on who gives the orders in our relationship. However, that can wait for now. And the girl is free... as is her captain. They can leave whenever they wish," she continued with a dismissive wave. "But I believe you and I have some... business to discuss."

"Vlad?" Seras asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly as she lightly tugged on the vampire's arm. "Lets... lets just go," she pleaded.

She'd been with Integra long enough to know that there was some history between the woman and the vampire that Seras had come to... 'care about' over the past few days. And that concerned her. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on, nor could she wholly trust the few explanations the mysterious woman had given.

Integra remained silent. She just locked eyes with the vampire, her gaze unwavering and determined. And, Vlad knew that he had to hear this woman out. Since he'd first come to, in the morgue, the vampire had been searching for clues to his true identity. And somehow, he knew... he just _knew_ that this commanding woman before him could provide the answers he sought.

"I... You run along, Police Girl. I shall follow shortly."

Suddenly Seras's continence shifted, and she stormed out of the office without offering up another sound, save her boots upon the wooden floor and the slammed door which followed on the heels of her rather rapid departure.

Clearly the girl was upset. But Vlad figured that was something he'd have to deal with later. He could not let an opportunity like this pass him by.

"Seras," a voice called out as the door slammed, its movement revealing an older, male cop – who'd remained silently sitting on the couch in the corner.

This man took off after the Police Girl, and Vlad guessed this was the captain that the women had mentioned earlier. But the man was forgotten almost as quickly as he too left the room. To the vampire, this captain was not important. The mysterious woman across from him and the secrets she held about his true identity were important.

The girl who'd recently stormed out of the office was important too. But she would have to wait. The vampire felt that he needed to understand, and come to terms with, his past before he could return to the present... and consider possible futures.

* * *

*Line taken from Flemeth's dialog in Dragon Age Origins.

What did you think? I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought of it, thanks.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

To Lara: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and found it suspenseful enough. :) Hopefully you enjoyed this one as much... and it lived up to those "amazing" expectations you had. :P If not, the next one (specifically the ending) will hopefully make up for anything lacking here. ;)

To policegirl: Aw, thanks for the thanks. :P And thanks for the review too. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter so much – hopefully this one lived up to your expectations. ;) Well, Seras is safe from Integra... But, without giving too much away, well... Let's just say she's not completely out of the woods yet. :P

To SakuU: Hey! It has been awhile... good to hear from you again. :) Thanks for the review. I'm glad you're enjoying this new (relatively new) fic. :) At this point I do expect to finish this (I'm thinking probably two more chapters... or one and an epilogue). And as for Seras and Alucard (Vlad)... well, I don't want to give too much away, but I'd hope my previous track record (with AxS stories) would speak for itself. ;)


	9. Full Circle

**Full Circle**

**AN:** I was hoping to have this ready for you all on Friday, but then I got sick, and... Well, at least I managed to still update _sometime_ this weekend, right? :P

* * *

"Take a seat, Alucard," the lady knight said as she motioned to the chair across the desk from her.

"Vlad," the vampire replied, somewhat defiantly, but complied and sat down regardless.

"Vlad?" Integra responded. It was not a correction, more of a question. "Yes, I suppose that name is as accurate as Alucard... but to me and my ancestors you have been called by the latter for a hundred years. And so, Alucard you shall remain."

The vampire didn't bother to argue. What this woman called him wasn't really important. The information she held was. "You say you know me?"

Integra chuckled. "Know you? Yes, quite well. In fact, given your present condition, I'd say that I know you better than you know yourself."

The vampire did not look nearly as amused. Instead, he looked a little frustrated. "Well then," he replied slowly, "What can you tell me about my past, about who I am, about those infernal voices and what's been happening to me?!"

"Calm yourself," the lady knight ordered as she noted the rising pitch of the vampire's tone. Then she sighed and took a long puff from the cigar resting on her right. Finally, she began again. "Tell me, are you familiar with Bram's Dracula?"

The vampire thought for a moment. He remembered the tale, though he could not recall ever having read the book. "Yes."

"Good. That will make things a bit easier. First, you need to accept two things. One is that, although certain... 'artistic liberties' were taken, Bram's 'fictional' novel is in fact the account of a very real event. The No-Life King, then known as 'Count Dracula', really did come to England a century ago. He really did turn two women, one of whom he fell in love – or at least as close to love as he was capable – with. And he really was defeated by Abraham Van 'Helsing'... with help from a few others. That is the first thing you must accept. And if that seems difficult, though perhaps not so difficult since you have the advantage of knowing that vampires do indeed exist; it's nothing compared to the second.

"The second thing you need to accept is that _you_ are, in fact, the 'Dracula' Mr. Stoker described in his novel. You see my great-grandfather didn't actually slay Dracula, though he came very close, reducing the monster to a seemingly lifeless corpse. But a true Nosferatu is harder to kill then most suspect. Dracula's corpse... _your_ corpse was taken back to England for study. My great-grandfather sought to gain a better understanding of vampires and so learn how to combat them more efficiently. What he didn't expect, what no one expected, was that you would revive.

"While leaning over your corpse one day – to obtain a fresh... 'sample' – my great-grandfather accidentally cut himself. Despite his intelligence, wisdom and physical prowess the man was never that... coordinated, nor was he as careful as he should've been.

"A single drop of his blood fell, landed on your corpse and vanished instantly. And then, approximately five minutes later – if my great-grandfather's journal is to be believed – you began to reanimate. You were not awe-inspiring or threatening in the least. With so little blood, you couldn't even raise your head or move your limbs. But you could talk, and my ancestor saw an opportunity in that.

"You posed no threat in that condition, but you retained valuable information. And so you were kept like that while he questioned you, experimented on you and questioned you again. Nearly ten years went by like this, and over the time my great-grandfather learned something else about you, something not directly related to his research. Somewhere along the centuries, you'd actually lost yourself in what you'd become.

"Blood is the currency of life. When a vampire drinks the blood of another, their memories flow into him – indeed their souls begin to merge. Now in most cases this 'joining' is left incomplete, and once the vampire finishes he only retains the memories themselves, the victims soul reentering his or her drained body and either reanimating it as another vampire – if the victim was a virgin of the opposite sex – or a ghoul. But never one to be content with playing by normal rules, you found a way around this.

"You discovered how to permanently merge your soul with that of your victims' and so retain all of their power, as well as the memories. This became the source of your greatest strength, and is what allowed you to propel yourself beyond other vampires and claim the title of No-Life King. However, this same thing is what ultimately led to your fall.

"You craved power. You always have. And with every familiar you created your power grew, but at the same time your own personality was deluded by another. Soon you went completely insane. You lost yourself; and driven by your thirst for power and the darker soul's you'd 'joined' with, the ones who envied those of your subjects allowed to retain their individuality; you slaughtered them all and drank their blood.

"For a century after that, you struggled to stop, to gain some measure of control over yourself once more. But, like a human addict craving a fix, you could only last so long, could only build so much before you went off the deep end again, and leveled everything.

"When my great-grandfather discovered this, he couldn't help but pity you, pity what you'd become. Truth be told, I think that once he knew more about your past, he may have even seen a bit of himself in you. Once, long ago, before you became a master of darkness, you were a loyal servant of God, playing much the same part as my great-grandfather.

"But whether he saw a bit of himself in what you once were or not, he took pity on the monster he'd developed a relationship with over the years. And slowly his research began to focus on freeing you from what you'd become. In the one sense he failed miserably. Obviously he never managed to turn you back into a human. However, he succeeded in something else.

"My great-grandfather found a way to isolate your identity from the others. The trick to this laid in restricting the powers gained from your familiars. And thus the seals were created. By separating you from the powers of your familiars, your soul was also, in effect, segregated from theirs'. This restored a measure of your original individuality. Though the seals restrict access to your higher dark powers, limiting you in one regard, they allow you to retain most of your sense of self, freeing you in another. Thanks to those seals, in all but the final release state, your millions of victims can exhort no more influence over you than a whispering crowd of strangers. In fact, when all the seals are active and your powers are at their weakest even the whispering voices disappear.

"That is why you serve me, why you've served my ancestors. It's not that you've been our slave, as that police girl said. It's that you've been our charge. Your servitude may bind you in a way. The seals are keyed to our bloodline – as indeed they must be since the temptation would be to great were you to have complete control of them yourself; you can only lift the first few restriction levels on your own. But they free you in another.

"You see, don't you? Without the seals, you, Alucard... Vlad... whatever you call yourself ceases to exist; and you become that monstrous, insane dark lord once more. That is what my ancestors and I have given you, not enslavement, but the freedom of servitude and a chance to atone for your past crimes by hunting down and ridding the world of other vampires."

Vlad just sat there, silently. He stared off into space as his mind attempted to process what he'd just heard. He truly was Vlad, Vlad Draculea, Count Dracula. And the voices he'd heard earlier had been real, more than real. They were a part of him, the victims of the monster he'd been, the monster he was again becoming.

"No," he whispered. "No!" he repeated loudly and slammed his fist down on the side of the chair, breaking off the antique arm.

Integra looked mildly displeased as she surveyed the damage, but she didn't say a thing about it. "I know this must be hard for you to believe, but I also know that deep down you're not really surprised by what I'm saying. Surely by now you must have felt a familiar stirring, your old nature beginning to rise to the surface."

The vampire hung his head, and a moment of silence passed between the two. "I-I don't want it," Vlad finally commented, doing his best to keep his voice even.

Integra looked... puzzled. "Of course not," she replied in a strange tone, "that's why the seals are there. Haven't you been listening?"

"No, I mean... I don't want any of it." Slowly the vampire raised his head back up, his expression pained with loss, grief, fear and pleading for help. "You said that the voices disappear completely when all the seals are active, right? Can you... lock them down?"

"Lock them down?!" The lady knight's expression went from puzzlement to astonishment. "As in completely restrict _all_ of your higher powers? I... Possibly.... But do you understand what that would mean? No shape-shifting, no teleportation, no familiars, no flight... and your regeneration capabilities would take a serious hit. You wouldn't be the No-Life King any longer; as long as all the seals were locked you'd simply be another run-of-the-mill vampire."

"Yes, can you do it?"

"Can I? Will I?" Integra paused and thought for a moment.

The conversation had taken a turn she'd never predicted. As much as her servant hated what he'd become, he'd also reveled in the power of it, the superiority it gave him over the rest of his kind. To be completely locked down, wasn't something she ever would've dreamed Alucard would ask for.

"If... If I do what you ask, you won't be much good to us. Keeping Dracula here has always made us a target... and separated us from many similar agencies around the world who take objection with us using a vampire, even to hunt other vampires. In the past these drawbacks have been countered by the fact that we had an all but unstoppable trump card we could play if we really needed it. But if you _always_ needed my authorization to use _any_ of your higher powers..." Integra sighed. "Well, I suppose you could make a decent bodyguard – if you were that close providing an override command wouldn't really be an issue..."

"No," Vlad commented again. "I... I don't want to come back."

"You expect me to just let you run loose through the streets of London?!" Integra shouted in shock. "No, out of the question. Even fully sealed, you're still a vampire. I can't have you running free, feeding on English citizens! Unacceptable."

"How would you provide for me here?"

"What?"

"While working for you, how were my... 'needs' met?"

"Blood packets, but..."

"Couldn't I just supply you with an address to deliver them to?"

"I-" Integra paused and looked around her office, trying to reassure herself that what was happening was real... or spot the hidden camera if it wasn't. "It takes a considerable amount of money to procure those blood packets... not as much as the silver bullets, I'll grant you. But still..."

"You said I've been working for your family for a full century now, right?" Vlad asked.

"Yes," Integra growled in reply, becoming rather annoyed at the vampire's repeated interruptions.

"Well, after a hundred years, don't you think I've earned a... 'pension', so to speak?"

"I-" Integra started, then stopped. She sighed, shook her head and took another long drag from her cigar. Silence hung thickly between the two for a few moments as the master considered her pet's request.

"You know, I honestly thought you were above this," the lady knight finally commented.

"Above what?" the vampire questioned.

"Above making a stupid decision for a pretty face, above letting your heart run away with your head. It seems your dunk in the Thames not only eroded your powers and memories, but your commonsense as well."

"I'm not asking this for her," Vlad replied.

"Liar," Integra quickly responded as a strange half grin played across her features.

Vlad hesitated and turned his head away. "Fine," he sighed before bringing it back. "But I'm not doing it _just_ for her. Bits and pieces of what you said... they were familiar to me; and over the past twenty four hours, I've felt myself starting to... slip away. If I were to come back, you admit that I'll be placing myself in situations that call for use of my... 'higher powers'. I don't want to run that risk. I don't want to... lose myself as you described, not even for a time."

Integra sighed once more. "Alright, Alucard... Vlad," she corrected. "You have been loyal. You've served my family well, served England well. I'll grant this request of yours... but there are rules. I'm charged with protecting England's citizens, and I can't overlook it if you... 'slip'. This whole thing started because of that ghoul you, most likely accidentally, created at the morgue a few days ago. They'll be no more of that, understand?"

It was a point that had to be made. Integra knew that her freedom was predicated on her ability to deal with the No-Life King. The original agreement involved her bringing him in, but she was confident that she could make this new arrangement work as well. After all, the Crown didn't care what happened to her vampire, just so long as he was no longer terrorizing England... or her territories.

But what Integra knew she could not do, was remain the head of the Hellsing organization if she refused to hunt a vampire who endangered the lives of English citizens. It would be a dereliction of duty. She would be removed, replaced and the new head of the Hellsing organization would have no qualms about hunting down her... one time pet – and with all the seals locked he'd hardly be able to stand against the might of the entire Hellsing organization.

If the vampire wasn't able to restrain himself, it would be an unmitigated disaster... for both of them. So, for this to work, it was imperative that 'Vlad' keep his fangs to himself. "No biting, no drinking... I don't care who they are, or what they've done. If they're English, you're not to touch them."

"And, if I agree, you'll do it? You'll lock my seals and... and just let me go?"

Integra hesitated and stared at the expectant face before her. She nodded. "Yes, I can't speak for my descendants – you're bound to my bloodline, not just me – but, if you can restrain yourself, _I_ will let you go."

"Thank you," the vampire replied, his face holding a look of genuine gratitude and even... slight happiness, "Master."

And despite herself, Integra's half grin grew into a full one. "Come with me then. For what you're asking, we'll need to enter the mansion's sub-basement, where the dark arts laboratory is housed."

The lady knight got up and started for her office door. Then, upon opening it she turned back, her normal, realist view rising to the surface once more. "You know this isn't going to last... not indefinitely. As much as we may want to, we can't change our nature."

"Is that a statement... or a question, Master?" Vlad asked with a bit of a sly curling of his lip.

And Integra let out a chuckle. "A little of both, I guess."

* * *

When Vlad left the mansion he felt as if a great burden had been removed. He also felt weaker, perhaps back down to the same level he'd been at when he'd first awoken within the morgue. But it was an acceptable trade off.

Vlad searched the area outside the mansion for the girl who'd asked him to come with her, to just leave his past behind, but there was no sight of her. And the vampire felt momentarily offended. After all, he'd, in effect, done exactly what she'd asked – even if it had taken a little while. She should've been there, waiting for his return.

But she wasn't; and after a few seconds, Vlad realized that he was being unfair. The... 'ritual' had taken nearly an hour to complete, and before that he'd spent a decent chunk of time talking to his former master. The girl had been upset when she left; and, had she waited at all, her anger would've only grown with the amount of time it was taking him to come back to her. So the vampire could understand why she'd gotten fed up and left the area.

But where would she go? They'd squared things with the English government so there was really no reason to hide anymore. She could be anywhere, yet Vlad figured that she was likely in one of two places. Either she'd returned to their motel room, or she'd gone all the way back to her old apartment.

Vlad checked the motel room first, but found no trace of the girl. The vampire sighed and shook his head. She must have been very upset to prefer her bullet ridden apartment over their shared motel room. Vlad bet that when he finally did catch up to her, it wasn't going to be a happy, story-book-type reunion. But then once he'd explained things she'd understand, surely she would... wouldn't she?

Pushing such thoughts to the back of his mind, the vampire left the motel and made his way back to Seras's apartment building. It was quite a walk; and though Vlad had enough money to hire a cab, he didn't trust himself to find the place save on foot. Still, the vampiric speed he retained did make things a bit easier, and he reached the apartment building within thirty minutes. And then, everything went decidedly down hill.

The first shot rang out, shattering the peaceful night air, and Vlad's face fell into a look of disbelief. "No," he whispered to himself. It couldn't be happening. But several more shots followed the first, a clamorous chorus which proclaimed that it was indeed happening.

The vampire recovered and ran as quickly as he could, towards the apartment building, the source of the gun fire. He entered and ascended the stairs almost as if he was flying up them, his feet only coming into contact with every forth step, and then only for a moment. Yet the din of battle had ceased before he'd even reached the building, and Vlad knew that he was already too late.

As he reached her floor, the vampire could smell blood, its odor thick in the air – five bleeders, four men and one girl, a virgin who's scent he knew well. Vlad growled from somewhere in the back of his throat and continued onward, to Seras's apartment.

He found her there, lying on the bloodstained floor, four dead bodies just inside her apartment. They were not the bodies of Hellsing soldiers, nor of cops. They were the bodies of thugs. And then Vlad understood what had happened.

It was his fault, retribution for the robbery he'd talked her into committing. Jacob Conway had sent some of his 'boys' after them, and they'd found Seras at her old apartment. They'd gotten the jump on her, but she was still armed with her revolver and had managed to fight them off. Now, the four invaders laid dead and the victorious girl laid mortally wounded.

Vlad rushed to the girl. He knelt down beside her and cradled her head in his hands, and to his surprise when she looked up at him her face bore no trace of anger. She smiled at him instead. "You're... a little late."

"I," the vampire began and stopped, not sure how to continue.

"Did I get them all?" the girl asked meekly.

"Yes."

"Good," she responded with a tinge of pride. Then she coughed up blood, from some internal injury, and her face filled with sadness. "I guess this is goodbye," she rasped.

Vlad's own face showed nothing but pain and anguish. No, it couldn't end like this. It just couldn't. He found the strength for only one word, "Stay."

"Don't think I can." Seras tried to smile again but was in too much pain, and it turned to a grimace instead.

"No," Vlad replied softly as he lowered himself to her neck. "Stay," he repeated as he let his mouth hang open, his fangs pressed against Seras's skin... but not piercing it.

And suddenly she knew what he was asking. He wanted her to stay with him, wanted to turn her into a vampire so that such a thing would be possible. But also wasn't going to do so without her consent. The girl was fading fast, but she still found the strength to speak one last time. "Will you?"

Vlad paused, as the question hit him full force and he remembered his earlier conversation with Integra. If he did this, the deal would be broken. And then either he and his knew fledgling would have to live on the run... or they'd both have to go to work for the lady knight, assuming of course she'd have them. Vlad figured she would, but if she did, she'd want him back to the way he was – a 'trump card'. And that meant that he'd have to deal with the voices again; would he lose himself to them? Could this girl stand to be with him if he did?

The vampire swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "For as long as you desire, yes."

Seras no longer possessed the strength to answer, but she nodded her consent.

And then the vampire bit down.

* * *

"Couldn't even make it one night I see," Integra commented sounding somewhere between disappointed and amused.

"No, Master," the vampire replied, his head hung. "It seems I couldn't" He paused. "But... I couldn't just let her die."

"So you think you've saved her? You've condemned her to a life of bloodsucking, of darkness and death."

"She made the choice for herself," the vampire defended.

"Sure she did," the lady knight replied in a somewhat disbelieving tone. "And I suppose you want to keep her too. Yes, of course you do." Integra sighed and rubbed her forehead with her right hand. "Just... take her to the sub-basement and lay her in your coffin for now. I'll figure out _some_ way to get approval for this."

"Thank you, Master," The vampire replied and turned to leave.

"Alucard?"

"Yes, Master."

"I hope she's worth it."

"She is," The No-Life King responded and smiled down at the small, semi-conscious Queen in his arms. "She is."

* * *

Okay, the fic has come to an end, hope you all enjoyed. But things aren't quite over yet. I've got an epilogue planed out for next week. In the mean time, I have a favor to ask. Lion in the Land has recently posted a simply fantastic, Christmas-time, romantic one-shot called "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow". And I'd like to ask that anyone who isn't a truly hard-core AxS fan give it a shot (it's not AxS so the hard core fans would be disappointed... probably :P). Lion in the Land is still kind of new to the Hellsing fandom, and I worry that the one-shot may not get the exposure it deserves. So, would anyone – who's open to other pairings (besides AxS) – please try it out? Thank you very much. The fic can be found in my favorites section, my community (One-shot Wonders) or on Lion's author's page.

To Lara: I'm glad you found the last chapter exciting. :) I'm afraid that Alucard's _full_ memory return is beyond the scope of this fic, but rest assured it does happen – just not here. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter regardless.

To SakuU: Okay, I'll admit it. I've got a few AlucardxIntegra fics too and even a couple of PipxSeras ones. What can I say, I like the different writing opportunities all three pairings offer. BUT I'm not so cruel as to list a fic as Alucard and Sears, begin an AxS romance... and then suddenly switch tracks. :P LoL Anyway, I hope the ending lived up to your expectations. ;)

To policegirl: I'm glad my story makes you want more with each chapter, thanks. :) And, well... I got this update out in about half the time it normally takes me, and the chapter is quite long (for me) too. I just hope to quality didn't suffer at all as a result. Personally, I like this chapter... but then I'm not exactly impartial. :P

To AkissofMoonLight: Oh no, not a cookie. Not a giant cookie! Back, back I say! LoL Well, after this last chapter I don't think I really need to answer your question on whether or not Seras and Vlad end up together (should be obvious by now that they do :P). I just hope you enjoyed the ending as much as the rest.

To all of my reviewers: Thanks for the kind words, encouragement and advice. I wasn't even sure I wanted to write this at first, but you've all been so great. :D I'm glad I was able to entertain you and I only hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**AN: **This epilogue was inspired by KawaiiKittyChan's "A Trap With a Sexy Lure".

* * *

The little worm was sleeping soundly. Strange, she'd always heard that killers' consciences bothered them at night. It seemed that was not always the case after all. Oh well, it was really of little concern – it just made it all the easier to sneak up on him.

Silently she crept over to his bedside, her motions precise, fluid like a shadow cast over him. She was to him in an instant. Quickly her hand clamped down on his mouth, smothering the instinctive scream which came as he was so violently roused from his slumber.

"Hello, Jacob... remember me?" she asked, her voice nearly purring as she watched the week thing before her struggling and felt the fear growing within him. "A decade ago you killed my parents, and last month you sent your men to kill me. And, I guess you assumed they'd succeeded, though none of them returned and my body was never recovered." At this the red eyed creature paused for a moment. She leaned down and whispered the next words directly into the helpless man's ear. "And you were right."

Jacob's eyes shot open, as if his sockets were trying to push them out, as the words and the police girl's altered appearance registered. He screamed loudly. But, do to the strong hand upon his mouth, the words only came out as muffled moans.

"That's right, Jacob, I'm dead. And now... and now I'm going to... 'thank you' – for all you've done for me." The creature brought her head up and locked eyes with the man lying beneath her. "Stop your struggling. You can't move. Your fear has left you paralyzed," she cooed in a deep, soft tone, and Jacob's struggling faded away.

"You see I've come to a decision. The police aren't going to catch you. You know the game too well... and cheat whenever someone else gets the upper hand. But _we_ both know what you are, what you've done. And I'm not a bobby anymore. Now, I'm playing by an entirely new rule book."

In a flash the vampire's hand slipped down to the man's throat and squeezed it, hard – but not quite hard enough to kill him. "I could snap your neck like a twig... But I won't. No, a quick death is too good for you. I've got something else in mind."

And with that the creature leaned in and lined up her mouth with the man's neck. Her free hand pulled a small dagger from her boot and brought it up to the man's neck. She sliced, and the taste of his blood filled her mouth.

Seras had all she could do to keep from spitting out the wretched substance. The man was vial, and even his blood was tainted, putrid. Yet, she endured. She drank from him, doing her best to ignore the moans and sighs of of ecstasy that the experience drew from her captive.

She hated the thought that she was causing this man pleasure. But he'd get his soon enough. First, there was one last thing which needed to be addressed. She had to be sure, absolutely sure. And so the vampire searched through the memories the blood carried – back... back nearly eleven years she went. And then she found what she was looking for.

'Twas the night of her parents' murder. She knew it well, had relived it a hundred times through the years. But this time was different. This time she was seeing it through the eyes of their killer.

It was disgusting, sickening. She felt everything he felt, every emotion, every perverted desire. It was torture, but she needed to go through it. She needed to know for certain that her memory wasn't flawed in anyway, that this 'man' had really done all the things she accused him of. And there was another reason too.

Despite what she'd become, Seras was not truly a monster. She needed this experience to fuel her rage, to give her the strength to carry through with what she was planning. It was the only way. And as Jacob entered her mother's dead body, Seras finally felt her anger spike to where she needed it.

She bit down into the slowly sealing wound, and the man's body jerked. She drank his life away, and then rose to stare at his empty expression. Then she waited.

It took nearly a half hour for the change to be complete, but finally Jacob's eyes fluttered open once more. He'd been no virgin in life, and so he was no vampire in death. Instead, his skin was a revolting mixture of pale yellow and green. His eyes were glazed white. His teeth were unaligned, and his body was already beginning to bare the tell tale stench of decay.

"Welcome back, Jacob... Welcome to your eternal punishment. For what you've done to me... and all your other victims throughout the years, you – what's left of you – will wander this earth for all eternity. You'll crave raw flesh, but by _my_ order you are _not_ to indulge – save for those carcasses that you find already dead and rotting. You will harm NO living thing, is that clear?"

The ghoul Seras had created groaned, the closest it could come to replying. "Good. You will wander the earth like this, trapped in a decaying body, unable to die, yearning for raw flesh and unable to sate that hunger. You will live forever as a horror, a reflection of the monster you truly are. Goodbye, Jacob. You'll not see me again. And may God have mercy on your dark, twisted soul... no one else ever will."

* * *

Well, that was short. But then, 'twas just an epilogue. Anyway, I still hope you guys and gals enjoyed it. :) With the holiday season upon us, I doubt I'll be able to write anything else until after Christmas and New Years. Sorry, but at least I did finish this fic before taking my respite. AND, when I do come back in January, I've got something special in mind. I think I'm FINNALY ready to bring "Separation Anxiety" back from it's long hiatus... just in case anyone's still interested in that old fic. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

To AkissofMoonLight: Aw, that's sweet. Thanks for the awards. :) I hope you enjoyed this epilogue... and still think I did and good job with Alucard's and _Seras's_ personalities. :P

To Lara: Well, I'm not so sure about a sequel (not to this one at least), but I'm glad you "Loved" the story "from the beginning to the end". Hopefully, that's still true and the epilogue wasn't a let down. ;)

To Onitsu Blackfeather: Well, a little bit of fluff is okay... right? Hehe. Thanks. I'm glad you had fun with this and thought it was "SO cute". :)

And once again, to all of my reviewers, I'd just like to say thank you for the kind words, encouragement and advice. 'Tis much appreciated. :D

PS. To KawaiiKittyChan: I didn't specifically ask your permission to base the epilogue off of something that happened in one of your fics, but you've kind of given me a blanket permission to 'borrow' your stuff in the past. So I didn't think you'd mind – just so long as I gave you the credit for inspiring the idea. ;)


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